SEATTLE —
FASTEST CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
This is truly the quickest chicken noodle soup ever: once you’ve cut up your chicken and carrots, it takes about 15 minutes. Seriously! And it’s just about the most comforting pot of food I know. After cooking the chicken and carrots with some seasoning, you just add boiling water and Better Than Bouillon paste (see page 160 for my love letter to this stuff) and egg noodles. Once those are cooked, stir in some minced raw garlic (crucial), and then serve topped with herbs, if you’d like. Note that the longer this soup sits on low heat, the more the noodles will soften and absorb the broth. This is not a bad thing! Just a thing to be aware of if you don’t think you and yours will consume all the soup, or most of it, in one sitting. And leftovers can always be stretched with extra broth.
Makes about 3 quarts (serves about 6 to 8)
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 large (or 3 medium) carrots, peeled, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 10 cups boiling water (or not boiling, but the soup will take a little longer to cook)
- 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
- One 12-ounce package wide egg noodles
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced For serving: Chopped fresh dill and/or flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Directions:
Place the oil in a large heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven) over high heat. Add the chicken and carrots and season with the salt, garlic powder, and paprika. Cook, stirring now and then, until the chicken is opaque all over and just firm, about 8 minutes (it’s okay if it’s not totally cooked through at this point).
Add the water to the pot and whisk in the Better Than Bouillon. Bring the pot to a boil (this should be nearly instant if you’re using boiling water) and then turn the heat down to medium. Stir in the egg noodles and cook, stirring every so often, until they’re just tender, about 6 minutes.
Stir the minced garlic into the soup, season to taste with more salt if needed, and serve, with herbs sprinkled on top, if desired.
CLASSIC CAESAR WITH BIG CRUNCHY CROUTONS
I offered a recipe for Caesar dressing in Small Victories, my first solo cookbook, called Julia’s Caesar.
It’s my favorite dressing of all time, and the name still makes me laugh. This recipe is built on that one and includes what I’ve learned since I wrote that book, including the fact that a larger batch is better for so many reasons. First and foremost, it blends more easily. Second, you can use the whole tin of anchovies, oil and all, which is great because then you don’t have to figure out what to do with leftover anchovies and anchovy oil. Last, it leaves you with extra dressing, which can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, and who doesn’t want extra Caesar dressing?
Serves about 4
Ingredients:
For the dressing (makes 2 cups):
- 2 large garlic cloves
- One 2-ounce tin olive oil– packed anchovy fillets (don’t drain—you want to use the oil!)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
For the croutons:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
- ½ pound sourdough, French or Italian, peasant, or country bread (or just about any plain bread), torn into bite-sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the salad:
- 3 hearts romaine lettuce, leaves separated, large leaves torn in half
- Extra grated Parmesan
Directions:
First, make the dressing: Place all the ingredients in the pitcher of a blender and puree until smooth. Season the dressing to taste with more salt and/or pepper if needed.
Next, make the croutons: Heat the olive oil in the largest nonstick skillet you have over high heat. Once it starts to shimmer, add the torn bread and toss to combine. If the bread is looking dry, add a little bit more oil. Sprinkle with the garlic powder and salt and cook, tossing now and then, until the bread cubes are browned and starting to crisp, just a few minutes. Transfer the croutons to a plate and set aside to cool (they will crisp up as they cool).
Finish the salad: Place the lettuce in a large salad bowl (or just any big bowl) and drizzle with ½ cup of the dressing. Use your hands or tongs to mix the salad well. Transfer to a serving platter (or just serve from the bowl). Top the salad with the croutons and extra grated Parmesan, and drizzle with a little more dressing. Serve immediately.
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.