The Overlooked Japanese Condiment That Gives Canned Chicken Noodle Soup A New Twist

Canned chicken noodle soup is as familiar as it gets. We already know its flavors like the back of our hand — every single heartwarming bit of it. When something comes with such predictability, a new twist every now and then might be exactly what it needs to reclaim its spot on your dining table. Sometimes, you might need to reach across cuisines to find it, all the way to Japanese kitchens for a soup base called mentsuyu.

Mentsuyu is a versatile sauce used across many Japanese dishes, so if you're a long-time fan of the cuisine's noodle dishes, there's a good chance you might have tasted it before. This condiment is the flavor foundation of various soba and udon noodles, and occasionally, a tempura dipping sauce. Making it from scratch, you will only need soy sauce, mirin, sake, kombu kelp, and dried bonito flakes. With a quick simmer of these ingredients, followed by a strain, you will have a homemade batch of mentsuyu in no time.

One taste of mentsuyu's umami complexity, and there's no wondering why this is one of the best ways to improve store-bought canned soup. Sweet and savory notes gather at the base of the soup, lending a layered depth to that usual chicken soup salty tang. It coats every strand of noodle and shred of chicken in a refined comfort. As you stir and stir, the heated steam gives way to a rich aroma, enriching the broth beyond the monotony you typically expect from a canned product.

Mentsuyu comes in two main varieties. Straight mentsuyu is mild and less potent, ready to use straight from the store-bought bottle. The concentrated version, however, needs to be diluted first to temper its umami intensity. As a general rule, mix one part of the tsuyu with three or four parts hot water. If the taste is to your liking, proceed to add it to the canned soup.

Much like other liquid additions, mentsuyu can be stirred into the soup as you're heating it up. Considering that both canned chicken noodle soups and mentsuyu are quite bold in their own ways, you will need to mindfully balance out the taste profile. Don't go all in at once unless you want to accidentally overwhelm the dish with too much saltiness. Start with a few teaspoons and slowly build up the flavors.

Along with spoonfuls of mentsuyu, other ingredients will elevate the canned soup even further. With Japanese cuisine as the inspiration, you've got endless options. Complementing the mentsuyu, aromatic herbs and grated ginger are the best ways to do it. Spiciness (and a tinge of zesty vibrancy), on the other hand, can be found in just a teaspoon of yuzu kosho — chilis, yuzu, and salt fermented into a paste. You can also rarely go wrong with popular Japanese noodle toppings, such as shiitake mushrooms, nori seaweeds, soft-boiled eggs, or scallions — the one ramen topping you should never skip.