For a great garnish to mushroom soup, float a few sautéed mushrooms in each bowl of soup for visual, textural, and flavor appeal. Delicate enoki mushrooms are also a nice addition. If you like, add an ounce or two of enoki mushrooms to the pan during the final minute of the cooking time in step 2.

Makes 1 to 1 1/2 cups 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms , or chanterelle, oyster, or cremini, stems trimmed and discarded, mushrooms wiped clean and sliced thin
Salt and ground black pepper

1. Heat butter in medium skillet over low heat. When foam subsides, add mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 10 minutes for shiitakes and chanterelles, about 5 minutes for oysters, and about 9 minutes for cremini.

2. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid released by mushrooms has evaporated and mushrooms are browned, about 2 minutes for shiitakes, about 3 minutes for chanterelles, and about 2 minutes for oysters and cremini.