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Sep 03, 2023

Salt and Stone: Chicken noodle soup good for what ails you

We’ve had a bout with the inevitable back-to-school colds run through our house. After a quick trip to the doctor last week for not one, but two of my three kids, it was quickly decided that chicken

We’ve had a bout with the inevitable back-to-school colds run through our house. After a quick trip to the doctor last week for not one, but two of my three kids, it was quickly decided that chicken soup was the next order of business.

I got the sickies snuggled up on the couch, cozy and content, then headed for the kitchen. As simple as it would have been to just open a can of soup, the idea of a steaming pot of soup on the stove just sounded so lovely.

I’ve made chicken noodle soup a couple of different ways over the years. Usually, if I’m making the soup for my kids, I’ll make a classic recipe (even though every time it’s probably slightly different) with onion, carrot, celery, chicken and egg noodles. I like to use lots of fresh herbs like parsley and thyme and a generous pinch of black pepper.

This time, though, I had a few packets of ramen noodles to use up and no egg noodles. I flipped through a few cookbooks to see what would inspire me and landed on a turmeric chicken soup recipe from the Portland-based food blog The Modern Proper. The idea of adding a little warming turmeric, ginger and garlic to the soup sounded so comforting and healing.

I took inspiration from the recipe and turned it into my own. I added fresh baby spinach for maximum healing vitamin power (my kids will eat spinach in soup but not in a salad, so I take the win when I can get it). I also added a dash of Chinese five spice to the broth for a little depth of flavor. The toasted sesame seeds and minced green onions are just for garnish and texture, but they can be skipped if you don’t have them.

Whether or not chicken soup is actually healing isn’t really the point. We all deserve a little comfort in body and soul whether we’re battling a cold or just a little weary from a long week. Sometimes a bowl of something warm and homemade, especially made with a little love and attention, goes a long way in healing what ails us. This soup is the perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket all fall and winter long. It comes together quickly and easily; as soon as the ramen noodles are ready, the soup is ready to eat.

Golden Chicken Noodle Soup

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, diced

1/2 bunch cilantro, stems chopped and leaves reserved for garnish

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 32-ounce boxes organic low-sodium chicken stock

3 large carrots, washed, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick pieces

3 celery stalks, washed and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick pieces

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Chinese five spice

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

2 3-ounce packages ramen noodles (spice packets discarded)

3 cups shredded cooked rotisserie chicken breast, skin removed

3 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach

Toasted sesame seeds

3 green onions, minced

Sriracha or sambal oelek for serving

Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shiny, add the onion, cilantro stems and ginger to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the carrots and celery and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, continuing to stir often. Stir in the garlic, turmeric and Chinese five spice, and cook an additional minute until the pot is fragrant and the turmeric is well-incorporated over the vegetable mixture.

Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir in the ramen noodles, chicken and spinach, letting the noodles boil for two to three minutes before reducing the pot to a low simmer. Once the noodles are tender and the spinach has slightly wilted, turn the heat off to the pot.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with toasted sesame seeds, minced green onions and sriracha.

• Andrea McCoy’s Salt and Stone column and recipes appear weekly in Explore.

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