Hungary GP 2020: Mushroom and Tarragon Soup

What a treat to have this 2020 season start with a triple header! Lewis and the Mercedes are looking ever-dominant, the midfield is as exciting as always, and Ricciardo and Lando are just as goofy and ridiculous with masks on. Hungary was made much more interesting by the unpredictable weather and I can’t wait for Silverstone in two weeks time!

For Hungary I pulled out my most recent cookbook find: The Food & Cooking of Hungary. I wanted a lighter meal to serve with a nice garden salad so we settled on Mushroom and Tarragon Soup. And then I fried cheese. You know, to balance things out. The Herb & Cheese Fritters were definitely the hit of the meal. Served with a punchy herb salad and fresh garden tomatoes and cucumbers, I will definitely be making them again!

This soup is simple to make and packs a nice amount of umami flavor. It definitely needs generous seasoning with salt and pepper, but with the freshness of the tarragon and creaminess of the sour cream it turns into something lovely served with a thick slice of rye or other crusty hearty bread to dip in it.

Mushroom and Tarragon Soup

From The Food & Cooking of Hungary by Silvena Johan Lauta

 12-16 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 ½ cups vegetable or other stock
2 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
3 Tbsp sour cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
slices of hearty bread, to serve

 1. Heat olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallots, sauté for 2-3 minutes and then add mushrooms, sauté for 5-8 more minutes or until nicely browned.
2. Add the stock and season well with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, covered.
3. When the soup has thickened, add chopped tarragon and remove the soup from the heat.
4. When ready to serve, check for seasoning, add more salt or pepper if needed. Finally, add sour cream and mix to combine, while the soup is still hot.
5. Serve garnished with tarragon, and accompanied with crusty bread.