Hrybna Yushka – Ukrainian Lenten Mushroom Soup
There’s something deeply comforting about a pot of Lenten mushroom soup simmering away on the stove, filling your kitchen with the earthy, woodsy aroma of dried porcini. This is a humble, meat-free soup built entirely on the rich flavor of foraged mushrooms and a few honest pantry vegetables. It’s light yet satisfying, and it proves that you don’t need a drop of broth or a scrap of meat to make a bowl that warms you right down to your bones.
In Ukraine, this kind of soup, called yushka, has been a cornerstone of the table for centuries, especially during the long fasting periods of the Orthodox calendar when meat and dairy are set aside. Cooks would gather and dry wild mushrooms through the autumn months, stringing them up to preserve that concentrated forest flavor for the lean winter and the weeks of Lent. A handful of those dried mushrooms, rehydrated and slowly simmered, gives the soup a depth that tastes far more luxurious than its short ingredient list would suggest.
The real secret here is patience. Soaking the dried mushrooms for a few hours before cooking is what coaxes out their full perfume, and that soaking liquid is liquid gold, so don’t pour it down the drain. Simmering a whole peeled onion in the pot and then fishing it out is an old trick that seasons the broth gently without leaving stray pieces behind. And resting the finished soup under a lid for fifteen minutes lets all those flavors marry into something truly special.
Tips & Substitutions
- Mushrooms: Dried porcini (white mushrooms) give the most authentic, intense flavor, but dried honey mushrooms work beautifully too. In a pinch, fresh button or cremini mushrooms are fine, just skip the soaking and add them straight to the pot.
- Save the soaking liquid: Strain it through a coffee filter or fine sieve to catch any grit, then add it to the pot for an extra hit of mushroom flavor.
- Make it richer: A spoonful of pearl barley or a handful of egg noodles turns this into a heartier, more filling meal.
- Brighten it up: A squeeze of lemon or a dollop of sour cream (if you’re not keeping it lean) just before serving lifts the whole bowl.
- Herbs: Fresh dill is traditional and wonderful, but parsley or a mix of both works just as well.
Ladle this soup into deep bowls and serve it piping hot with a thick slice of crusty rye bread for sopping up every last drop. It keeps well in the fridge for up to three days and, like most soups, tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had more time to deepen. You can also freeze it for up to two months, making it a smart make-ahead option for busy weeks or quiet fasting days when you want something nourishing and ready to go.
Part of Ukrainian cuisine — 288 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Soak the dried mushrooms in cold water for 3 hours so they swell up and rehydrate. Then put them on to simmer for about an hour. If you're using fresh button mushrooms, there's no need to soak them, just add them straight to the pot to cook.
While the mushrooms cook, peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.
Peel the onion and drop it whole into the pot with the mushrooms. Let it simmer for about half an hour. Once the onion turns soft, lift it out and discard it, it will have given the soup its flavor and aroma.
Add the cubed potatoes to the mushroom broth and cook until tender.
Cut the carrot into half-moons and saute it in oil until soft and lightly golden. Add it to the soup about ten minutes before the end of cooking.
At the very end, stir in the chopped fresh herbs, turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and let the soup rest for 15 minutes so it can settle and develop its full flavor.
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