Паприкаш од Гљива / Paprikaš od Gljiva (Mushroom Paprikash)

Serbian Fast With Oil Published April 10, 2026

Paprikash is normally a rich meat stew bound with sour cream. The fasting version swaps meat for mushrooms and thickens the sauce with flour and the mushrooms' own liquid. The paprika does the heavy lifting, as it always does in Serbian cooking — it is both the color and the flavor of this dish.

Use the best mushrooms you can find. A mix of button mushrooms with a few dried porcini (vrganj) is ideal and very Serbian. This is a warm, substantial main course served over homemade noodles or with bread.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil (for strict days, omit oil and use water, reduce to a thinner sauce)
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 700g mixed mushrooms (button, cremini, oyster, or a combination), thickly sliced
- 30g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 250ml hot water for 20 minutes
- 2 large onions, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 250ml warm water (in addition to porcini soaking liquid)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped

METHOD

1. Drain the soaked porcini, reserving the soaking liquid. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or coffee filter to remove grit. Chop the porcini roughly.

2. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft and starting to color.

3. Remove the pan from heat momentarily. Add the sweet paprika and hot paprika and stir quickly — paprika burns easily and becomes bitter. The residual heat will bloom the spices.

4. Return to heat and add all the mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and begun to brown.

5. Stir in the tomato paste and flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so the flour does not form lumps.

6. Add the reserved porcini liquid and warm water. Stir well, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to a stew-like consistency.

7. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish generously with parsley.

8. Serve over boiled egg-free noodles, polenta, or with thick slices of posna pogača (fasting bread).

NOTES

- Removing the pan from heat before adding paprika is a crucial technique in Serbian cooking. Scorched paprika will ruin the dish with bitterness.
- If you forage or have access to wild mushrooms, this dish becomes extraordinary with chanterelles or boletus.
- For a richer sauce, stir in 2 tablespoons of ground walnuts in the last 5 minutes of cooking. It adds a subtle creaminess that replaces the sour cream of the non-fasting version.
- Dried mushrooms are a fasting pantry essential. They keep for years and add enormous depth.