This Canned Ingredient Gives Eggs An Umami Boost Without Meat

Bacon and eggs. Ham and eggs. Steak and eggs. Clearly, there's a pattern here, and at the core of it is the fact that eggs pair wonderfully with the savory, salty flavors of meat. Perhaps it's due to their own protein-rich, animal-based makeup, or maybe it has more to do with their creamy, fatty mouthfeel, which contrasts with those strong umami flavors. In any case, if you're looking for a guaranteed way to elevate your breakfast, serving your eggs with a side of something savory is a pretty safe bet.

If you're a vegetarian or are simply looking for some alternative ways to bring a taste of umami to your meal, you can't go wrong by trading in the meat for mushrooms — canned mushrooms, to be exact. Not only are the canned versions oftentimes more affordable than fresh ones, but they also present a notable difference in flavor. Due to the canning process and the fact that they are stored in brine, these shelf-stable fungi tend to taste saltier rather than light and earthy. And that's exactly what you should be looking for when it comes to upping the umami flavors of your egg dish. Not to mention, canned mushrooms are also already fully cooked and ready to be mixed into meals, making them much more time-effective.

If you're hoping to find some creative ways to use canned mushrooms in your breakfast (or breakfast-for-dinner) dish, you've got options. One is using them in an omelet. Their umami flavor and meaty mouthfeel go particularly well with a rich, cheesy counterpart. Consider adding some gruyere, mozzarella, or cheddar into the mix as well. You can also add the mushrooms to colorful veggie scrambles, in which their taste will ground and intensify zestier additions like peppers and onions.

Now, if you're in the market for a dish you can stretch over a number of meals, you can't go wrong with a quiche. The hearty treat, which sees an egg-based filling baked in a flaky pie crust, is the perfect vehicle for a serving of mushrooms. While Tasting Table's own version of a loaded vegetarian quiche calls for fresh fungi, you can easily swap in the canned stuff to turn up the umami while adding depth to the dish. The best part? You can get multiple servings out of it.

And for those who don't necessarily avoid meat, take note: Canned mushrooms won't just elevate your eggs. They're also the secret ingredient you need to take a steak dinner from basic to decadent, as their flavor actually lends itself well to a variety of meat-enhancing sauces.