04.29.07
Spanish chicken noodle soup
Very tasty and easy:
Spanish Chicken Noodle soup
Makes 6 servings.
Cilantro gives this soup a Spanish flavor and is important to the recipe. Parsley will do, but the recipe won’t taste the same.
1.5 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced chick breast (about ½ pound)
1/8 tsp saffron powder
one 14.5 oz can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped, or 5 plum tomatoes
6 cups reduced-sodium defatted chicken broth
1.5 tsp paprika
0.5 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
0.25 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup fettuccine, broken into 2-inch pieces
0.25 c chopped fresh cilantro.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onions and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken pieces. Cook until white on all sides.
Put the saffron in a small heatproof bowl. Pour the tomatoes and broth into the soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Scoop out about 1/2 cup of liquid and pour over the saffron, then return it to the pot.
Add the remaining ingredients except for the cilantro. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve.
Notes: I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I also use saffron threads, crushing them between my fingers to make the saffron powder. A large can of chicken broth is 49 ounces, close enough to the 48 ounces called for in the recipe. I used canned diced tomatoes and don’t drain them—it’s soup, after all. Cilantro loses its flavor if it’s cooked, so add it at the last minute.
