Emeril Lagasse's Extra Ingredient For Chicken Noodle Soup Makes All The Difference

Whether straight from the can or completely homemade with a nice stock, chicken noodle soup is a classic comfort food. And while it may just seem like a repeated legend, the health benefits are decidedly true. Packed with protein, electrolytes, and even proven to clear nasal congestion, this savory classic is just good for your body. When you're looking to expand on the flavor, you can add a squeeze of lemon to your chicken noodle soup, or for some nice balance of acid, elevate it with a bright burst from white wine. But this one might be a surprise from the man who BAM! kicks it up a notch. Emeril Lagasse's favorite addition to chicken noodle soup isn't a spice component, but its richness and depth of flavor will still up your chicken soup to the next level: mushrooms.

On "The Rachael Ray Show," Lagasse recommends adding a sauté of button mushrooms to your chicken noodle soup (via YouTube). You can use a whole chicken, as Lagasse does. Or, if you already have a personal favorite chicken noodle soup recipe, simply adding the sautéed mushrooms will give it a whole new taste component. All it takes is a few extra minutes for more deep, unctuous mushroom flavor. If you're a fan of mushrooms, you'll love what it does for your soup.

Depending on how you normally make your homemade chicken soup, you don't have to start with a whole chicken — but that's how Emeril Lagasse goes about it. Using a whole chicken, while it may take a little extra time, is super easy to do, and it will create a broth that's full of flavor. Once cooked, the chicken can be used solely for your soup or made into a chicken salad, shredded for tacos, or whatever else you may need it for.

Lagasse's soup starts with a mirepoix mix of carrots, onions, and celery that go into a pot with the whole chicken. The poultry should be just covered in water, and you can add thyme, parsley, bay leaves, or other herbs you might think will bring your preferred flavor profile.

As it cooks, you can start sautéing the sliced mushrooms in olive oil and butter for a few minutes before adding more mirepoix veggies to the pan. The mushrooms will bring a wonderful umami flavor that is the hallmark of Lagasse's tasty soup. If you'd like an even deeper mushroom flavor, you can branch out from buttons into oyster or shiitake mushrooms, and a little extra garlic or a spoonful of diced ginger wouldn't hurt. At this point, you have a full base and can add the pasta of your choice, as well as the cooked and shredded chicken. Lagasse recommends serving with toasted bread or crackers, but this soup is perfectly good on its own. As Lagasse says in the video, "This is heaven."