A Better Chicken Noodle Soup

As I have previously mentioned, I don't like chicken noodle soup. Mike does though and sometimes one makes things one does not like for a person one loves. I figure if I really don't like what I made, I can always eat toast with jam for dinner like his grandmother used to.  The traditional carrot-celery-onion-chicken-in-broth soup recipe is frightfully boring so I started throwing in stuff that I saw in other soup recipes. I figured that all the ingredients came from soup recipes so they should all taste good together. I do realize that this method of cooking does not always work out for the best. I have first hand experience with the times that it has failed miserably. However, in this case, it worked beautifully. I even thoroughly enjoyed it.

Better Chicken Noodle Soup


olive oil
one yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 c white wine
1 small can diced tomatoes
8 cups chicken broth or 8 cups water with bouillon cubes (follow package directions)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (I baked the chicken in garlic-Parmesan olive oil at 350 for 30 minutes)
3 zucchini, cubed
4 carrots, sliced into rounds
fresh or dried thyme
fresh or dried rosemary
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups noodles of choice (I used pappardelle)
1 bag fresh baby spinach
grated Parmesan cheese

Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil; heat over medium heat. When oil is heated, toss in onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent and beginning to brown. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add white wine and cook for another minute or two. Add tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring occasionally.

Add broth, carrots, zucchini, chickpeas and herbs (I had fresh thyme and rosemary from another dish I made but if you only have dried I'm sure that will work too. I used three stems of thyme and one stem of rosemary. The rosemary I chopped up but I just picked the thyme leaves off the stems and threw it in without bothering to chop it. If you are using dried, I would use about 2 tsp of each.) Continue to cook until zucchini and carrots are soft, about ten minutes. Stir occasionally. Add noodles and cubed chicken.

*Note: I used pappardelle noodles from Trader Joe's because they looked very pretty in the package. However, because these noodles are so wide and long, they need to be broken into smaller pieces. I suggest that you do this in your hands over the soup pot. Do not try to cut dried noodles with a knife on a cutting board. The noodles break into little noodle shards that rocket all over the kitchen.

After adding the noodles, I left the pot on the stove, cooking on very low heat, for about twenty minutes more until we were ready to eat. Just before serving, add spinach and stir well so that the heat from the soup wilts the spinach.

Serve in bowls topped with Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 
Winter seems to have finally arrived and soup season has begun. Mike loves soup and I don't make nearly enough of them since I'm not really a fan of the broth-based soup. Now, cream-based - broccoli cheddar, baked potato, New England clam, tomato even - those I love. More proof, if proof were needed, that if it's terrible for me, I love it. If it's good for me, it's probably not my favorite. However, I decided to make this soup, even though it's broth-based, because Mike would enjoy it. I'd only have to eat it once and then I could send the rest with him for lunches. I was wrong again. This soup was delicious. As in, still craving it delicious. There are so many dimensions and flavors going on and it's fresh tasting but still warm and hearty and just what is needed on a wintery or rainy day. It was fairly easy as well, which is also right up my alley.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 32 oz cartons of chicken broth or 8 cups water and 6 chicken bouillon cubes
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 jalapenos, minced (remove the white part and seeds if you want it to be less spicy)
half white onion, chopped
2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika 

1 tbsp Goya Adobo spice mix

salt and pepper to taste

4 large tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 medium bag frozen corn kernels

1 small can black beans

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

tortilla chips

ripe avocado

shredded cheddar cheese

Pour chicken broth into a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken breasts, garlic, jalapenos, onion and spices and simmer for about fifteen minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from broth and allow to cool slightly.  Roughly chop or shred chicken breast. 

Add tomatoes, corn and black beans. Cook for another ten minutes. Return chicken breast to pot and continue to cook until chicken is reheated. 

 

To serve,  roughly crush a handful of tortilla chips into the bottom of each soup bowl. Add soup over the top and sprinkle with a little lime juice and cheddar cheese. If desired, add a couple of slices of avocado on top and garnish with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Sorry for the lack of photos in this post. I forgot to take them while I was cooking and only remembered right before we sat down to eat.

The Best Chili Ever

I hate chili. I really, really do. My dear mother has spent years making chili, the regular kind and something entitled 'Salsa Chili', which many people love and I, alas, cannot stand. I don't know what it is about it. I eat all the ingredients of chili in other recipes but I have never found a recipe for chili that I ever liked...till recently.

It came from one of my best friends, the same that introduced me to Homemade Pop Tarts. Her chili is wonderful; every time I make it.

The Best Chili Ever

3 cans crushed tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can chili beans
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 tbsp olive oil
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 good sized onion, chopped
1 good beer
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

In a saute pan, combine olive oil, peppers and onion. Saute until onion is translucent. Pour tomatoes into a large stock pot over medium heat. With a slotted spoon, drain the peppers and onions and add them to the tomatoes.

Add ground beef to pan and saute until cooked through. While beef is cooking, add beans to the tomatoes. When the beef is cooked, drain and add to tomatoes. Add spices, sugar and beer to the tomatoes.

Simmer for two hours. Taste, if it's too spicy, add a little more beer. If it's not spicy enough, add a little more Tabasco and cayenne.

Serve topped with sour cream and cheddar cheese with tortilla chips for dipping.

Baked Potato Soup

Mmm, potatoes!

My niece loves this soup, especially the kind from Panera. Unfortunately, when she's craving it the most, they never have it. Figures.

I stumbled across this recipe in an old Cook's Illustrated and had to give it a whirl. I figured if it turned out good, I could give the recipe to her so she can have it whenever the craving hits her.

It was amazing. Even Mike, who as a rule doesn't like potato(I don't understand it but it's true), really liked it. It's actually pretty easy too. There are a lot of steps, but it is so worth it.

Baked Potato Soup
(adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

4 strips of bacon, chopped
3 lbs russet potatoes, washed and scrubbed
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup light cream
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
3 scallions, sliced thin

In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, cook bacon until crispy. Using a vegetable peeler, peel potatoes in wide strips, reserve peels. Cut peeled potatoes into 3/4 inch pieces. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pot and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Add reserved potato skins to bacon fat and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peels and transfer to the plate with the bacon.

Add onion to bacon fat and cook until golden. Stir in garlic and flour and cook about one minute. Gradually whisk in broth and cream. Stir in thyme and potatoes and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover pot and cook for 7 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

Discard thyme, if using fresh sprigs, and remove 2 cups of cooked potato to a separate bowl. Puree remaining soup, in batches in blender until smooth. Be careful, its very hot. Return pureed soup to pot and warm over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted, then whisk in sour cream and add the reserved potatoes. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with bacon, fried potato skins and scallions. Enjoy!

I forgot the scallions, oh well.

On a really cold winter day or the torrential rain we are currently enjoying, this would be the perfect meal.

If anybody tries this, I'd love to know what you all think.