On a recent afternoon, I had a call from my schoolteacher daughter. Her voice sounded low pitched and gravelly, more like actor Harvey Fierstein than her usual Mary Poppins. Nose blowing trumpeted after many sentences.
I knew that homemade chicken noodle soup would help allay her symptoms, but I needed the process to be quick and easy. I thumbed through Julia Turshen’’s newest cookbook “What Goes With What” (Flatiron Books) and found a recipe dubbed “Fastest Chicken Noodle Soup.” Bingo.
I had all the ingredients on hand so once I cut up the chicken and carrots, the cooking took less than 20 minutes. Two things, easy things. I found that as the soup sat and cooled enough to package, the noodles absorbed some of the broth.
So, I added additional broth. And for added acidity, I added a generous splash of Frank’s RedHot. The sauce added a needed spark of tartness as well as a welcome subtle spiciness.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1/4 cup olive oil 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 2 large (or 3 medium) carrots, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons sweet paprika; see cook’s notes 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 or Italian parsley Optional: Frank’s RedHot Cook’s .
