Easy Traditional Ukrainian Mushroom Soup Recipe

If you love mushroom soup as much as I do, this recipe is going to blow you away. It is by far the best mushroom soup I’ve ever tasted. 

If you’ve never had mushroom soup before, then I can’t think of a better way to introduce you to this culinary treat. Although it might ruin you for other mushroom soup versions out there.

Trust me. Take the risk. Give this recipe a try. It has a thick rich texture, without any of the heaviness that many cream soups have. And it is PACKED FULL of rich, umami mushroom flavor.

The recipe I’m sharing with you in this post is based on a traditional Ukrainian soup that originated in the Carpathian Mountains. As is the case with most tradtional recipes, there are varied versions out there.

They can even vary from home to home in the same village. I created this version in my own kitchen. 

I looked over dozens of other recipes and snagged the features that I found to be most valuable from each of them. I’m over-the-top pleased with the end result of my quest to make an outstanding soup recipe with ingredients that are commonly accesible to the average person.

Choosing The Mushrooms To Make This Soup

I found that most of the folks out there, sharing this recipe, recommend using dried porcini mushrooms to make it. Indeed it is meant to be a porcini mushroom soup. 

However, I didn’t have these mushrooms readily available to me when I made my soup. And I’m thinking that most people are in that same predictament. 

I will keep an eye out for dried porcini’s so that I can try the soup made with them. I’m sure it changes the culinary experience in a pretty big way. A pretty big, good way!

But for now, I went with simple white button mushrooms. They are always stocked in my local stores and I’ll bet they are in your local stores as well. They’re a very common mushroom.

It’s pretty easy to snag portobello mushroom or shiitake mushrooms too. And if you head out to your local farmer’s market you’ll likely find a mushroom guy there who can hook you up with all kinds of mushroom goodness to make this soup.

I’m thinking that chanterelle mushrooms or oyster mushrooms would be ideal. But, I’m willing to bet that this recipe made with just about any fresh mushrooms is pretty darn amazing.

A different flavor profile with each type. But all very delightful nonetheless. 

Ingredients Needed To Make This Recipe

This recipe uses really simple ingredients. You may need to make a trip to the store to pick up the mushrooms. Or better yet, a trip to the farmers market to snag a more interesting variety of mushroom than white button.

But, other than that you’re probably good to go. Here’s a list of the ingredients you’ll need …

• ONION – Yellow onion has a great flavor profile for this recipe. Any onion can be used. Red onion will change the color of the soup.
• CARROT – Don’t skip the carrot in this recipe. It adds just the right amount of sweetness. Ever-so-slightly offsetting the umami flavor profile of the dish.
• OLIVE OIL – Extra virgin olive oil is recommended for sauteeing the vegetables for this dish. Any oil will work.
• MUSHROOMS – I used white button mushrooms to make the soup for this post. See the ‘choosing the mushrooms to make this soup’ section above for more information on what kind of mushrooms to use to make this recipe.
• GARLIC – Fresh garlic really makes a difference in this recipe. Granulated garlic can be used. Go with fresh if at all possible. You’ll be glad you did.
• VEGETABLE BROTH – I used vegetable broth to make my soup. It’s a great choice. You can use chicken broth if that’s all you have in the house. It will change the flavor profile considerably.
• POTATOES – The potatoes in this recipe are blended into the soup. Therefore, the texture of the potato is not that important. So, any type can be used with great success. I used red potatoes because I like the creamy texture thay have when blended.
• BAY LEAVES, THYME, BLACK PEPPER – Seasonings are always best when they are as fresh as possible. 
• HALF & HALF – Half and half is a good choice for this recipe as it is quite a bit lighter than heavy cream. But you can go either way depending on your preference. Heavy cream will lend a ‘heavy’ quality to the final dish.
• SCALLIONS – This ingredient is optional. It does make a really nice finishing touch when serving the soup.

How To Make Ukrainian Mushroom Soup

There are a lot of steps to making this soup. But don’t let that throw you. It is an incredibly easy soup to put together.

I like to use a large dutch oven to make this soup. But you can use any soup pot that you like.

The first step is to put about half of the oil in the pot of your choice, and saute the carrots and onions on medium heat, until they are soft all the way through. Remove them from the pan. And set them aside.

Then use the rest of the oil to saute the mushrooms until they are soft. Remove them from the pot. And set them aside.

Add the garlic to the pot and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the broth and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the potatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Return the carrots, onions, and half of the mushrooms to the pot. Add the seasonings. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the half and half and heat through. Remove the bay leaves. Then puree it all together until it’s nice and creamy.

​Serve this creamy deliciousness in a bowl topped with the remaining mushrooms and a few sliced scallions. SO GOOD!

Tips And Tricks For This Recipe

Use the following tips and tricks to make this recipe the very best it can be …

• Allow the veggies to fully caramelize when you cook them. This will ‘sweeten the pot’, as they say.
• Use homemade broth to make your soup. It has a rich flavor that you just can’t get with store bought broth.
• Keep the soup at a consistent simmer as you make it. Don’t allow it to cool down as you add ingredients to the pot. This can be done by working as quickly as possible. And by allowing the half and half to come to room temperature before adding it to the pot.
• Use farm fresh vegetables to make this recipe.

Ways To Serve Ukrainian Mushroom Soup

I have to say … I had a bread bowl on my mind the whole time I was eating this delicious soup. It is just the perfect consistency for serving in an edible bowl. 

So, if you can make a few small loafs of your favorite bread and hollow them out to serve your soup in you should go for it! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Really any good quality, crusty bread is a nice compliment to it though. It is soup after all. I’m thinking a nice crusty baguette would be a great choice. I had just made a fresh loaf of rosemary parmesan bread, and that did the trick for me.

If you want to stay a little more in line with a traditional Ukrainian mushroom soup recipe, you’re going to want to ditch the scallions and top your bowl with a little fresh dill.

You might want to drop a dollop of sour cream on the top of your bowl as well. Dill and sour cream seemed to be the two most common topping suggestions throughout the recipes I researched when writing this post.

​I can see adding meat, pasta, or rice to this dish too. I even considered trying it out as a pasta sauce the next day. It was definitely thick enough. And the flavor profile was there for sure.

I didn’t do it though. Maybe another time. It would be great ladled over some mashed potatoes or a thick juicy steak too! Are you getting the idea that this dish is some top notch comfort food?!?! 

Because it definitely is!

How To Store Ukrainian Mushroom Soup

There’s no real trick to storing this creamy mushroom soup. You can put it in an airtight container and toss it in the fridge. It will last a week or so in there. Although I’d eat it in the first 4 or 5 days for the best flavor.

It will freeze really well too. So, go ahead and put the leftovers, if there are any, in the freezer for another day. Or make a double batch and freeze some to have on hand in a pinch.

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