Supercharge Your Chicken Noodle Soup With This Tip From Emeril Lagasse

Chicken noodle soup is just about always a big bowl of comfort, whether you're cracking open a convenient can or enjoying the homemade version. If you are undertaking the task of making chicken noodle soup from scratch or want to boost a store-bought version, follow the lead of celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse and supercharge the flavor and body by adding sautéed mushrooms to the mix.

Sautéed mushrooms not only add deep umami flavor to the dish, but the meaty texture brings satisfying heft to the bowl. Seriously, don't make one of the common mistakes when cooking mushrooms and not sauté them beforehand. Mushrooms are full of liquid that needs to be sweated out by this cooking process, generally until they turn brown over medium-high heat. Lagasse does this using button mushrooms that are cooked in a generous amount of butter, which takes about three to four minutes. Once the mushrooms have released their moisture, they absorb fat beautifully, taking on an even more delicious flavor. Lagasse then adds a mirepoix (a classic French culinary mix of diced onion, carrot, and celery) to the pot and continues on with the soup-making process.

While Emeril Lagasse may choose to use standard button mushrooms in his chicken noodle soup recipe, this is far from the only option available to you. There are plenty of edible mushroom varieties to consider, each of which brings something unique to the soup bowl. From shiitake to cremini, pretty much any kind of mushroom can work in chicken soup — just remember that all types really ought to be sautéed beforehand.

To amp up your chicken noodle and mushroom soup with further additions, look to complementary herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage. Keep in mind these are all potent components which can often be simmered whole in the broth then removed, or chopped very finely and used sparingly (also remember that dried herbs can be stronger than fresh, though they're otherwise pretty interchangeable). If your chicken noodle soup seems a little thin and you want to thicken it up, use cornstarch. It's an easy way to go from broth-y chicken noodle soup to more of a chicken stew or cream of chicken-like texture without using heavy cream (although a splash of that probably won't hurt, either). Toast your favorite crusty sourdough, and you're all set for a hearty, comforting meal.