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Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Paprikash

A vegetarian one-pan dinner with two pounds of cremini mushrooms in a rich, velvety sweet Hungarian paprika and tempered sour cream sauce served over egg noodles or spaetzle in just 30 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Eastern European, Hungarian
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs cremini or baby bella mushrooms sliced; wiped clean with a damp paper towel
  • 1 large yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 sweet bell pepper yellow or red, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp butter or olive oil butter recommended for authentic flavor
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika authentic Hungarian brand strongly recommended; Szeged or Pride of Szeged
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika optional
  • 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour whisked into the sour cream before tempering
  • 1 cup sour cream at room temperature - remove from fridge at least 20 minutes before using
  • 1 tsp dried marjoram or thyme
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice finishing brightener

Equipment

  • Large skillet or Dutch oven
  • Small bowl for tempering
  • whisk
  • wooden spoon or spatula

Method
 

  1. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and chopped bell pepper. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and translucent.
  2. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all released moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown.
  3. Add the minced garlic, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and marjoram. Stir constantly for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant. Do not let the paprika burn.
  4. Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve the fond. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
  5. Whisk the room temperature sour cream with the flour in a small bowl until smooth. Ladle 1/2 cup of hot broth from the pan into the sour cream mixture while whisking continuously.
  6. Reduce heat to low. Pour the tempered sour cream mixture into the skillet in a steady stream, stirring to combine. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until thick and velvety.
  7. Stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve immediately over egg noodles, spaetzle, or mashed potatoes.

Notes

Paprika Quality: Authentic Hungarian sweet paprika is essential. Standard grocery store paprika produces a significantly less flavorful result. Szeged brand is widely available. Paprika Burning: Keep heat at medium during the blooming step and stir constantly. Paprika burns in seconds and turns bitter. Add broth immediately after the 30 to 60 second bloom. Sour Cream Temperature: Room temperature sour cream is non-negotiable. Cold sour cream curdles when it hits the hot pan even with tempering. Broken Sauce Fix: Remove from heat, cool 2 minutes, whisk vigorously with a tablespoon of cold broth. Vegan Version: Replace butter with neutral oil and sour cream with full-fat coconut milk. Skip the flour. Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of broth. Does not freeze well.