The Pantry Staple That Packs A Punch In Cream Of Mushroom Soup

Creamy soups are not only comforting and filling, but they can also be underwhelming if the flavors are not carefully balanced. The silky texture of each dairy-rich spoonful should pop with the taste of the main ingredients if you want to wow your guests (and yourself, of course). Mild mushrooms can sometimes get lost in the mix of a cream soup, but knowing how to add a bit of complementary umami flavor to punch up that taste brings the woodsy flavors front and center where they belong. The good news is you most likely have the right ingredient in your pantry already: soy sauce.

Soy sauce is the right choice for adding depth of flavor to cream of mushroom soup because the salty fermented condiment echoes the naturally occurring umami that mushrooms contain. More than just a sodium boost, soy sauce also contains hints of bitter, sweet, and sour. Balancing all these flavors keeps one from overpowering the others and leads to a more delicious soup.

You'll find many types of soy sauce at the store, and perhaps you already have a selection of dark, light, or flavored soy sauce in your pantry, but when it comes to this classic soup, we often prefer tamari, a traditional Japanese version of soy sauce. Tamari is made without wheat, so it adds all that deep flavor in a gluten-free format and has a bit less sodium overall. Just a tablespoon of tamari is all you need to add to the batch, so you won't be overwhelmed with a soy sauce flavor, just the underlying bonus boost of umami making the mushrooms taste even more delicious.

However, if you don't have tamari on hand, don't hesitate to substitute your favorite soy sauce instead — just use the same 1 tablespoon measurement. Remember that tamari is less salty than traditional soy sauce, so hold back on adding the additional salt until you taste the finished soup.