The Whole World Loves Chicken Soup

I love chicken soup.  I think most everybody loves chicken soup.  A good homemade chicken soup---just like mom used to make.  What can beat that?

One of the cookbooks on my shelf is  "The Whole World Loves Chicken Soup" recipes and lore to comfort body and soul.  That's what chicken soup does, don't you think?  It's the ultimate comfort food.

Funny that Mimi Sheraton (the author of this chicken soup cookbook) also wrote a cookbook called From My Mother's Kitchen (which I also own), so I think she had to have chosen recipes for chicken soup--even tho they are from all over the world--just like moms used to make.   It's a fun cookbook to read, and while I have had it for quite a few years, I've never made anything from it before, until now.  

A few months ago, on a long car ride, I took along a few of my cookbooks and some sticky notes, to mark recipes I wanted to try, and The Whole World Loves Chicken soup was in that pile  (on the bottom)  and if you notice the bottom cookbook has a ton of  sticky notes for 'must try' recipes.  I have a lot of recipes to try from all of the cookbooks!   So I thought I should get busy.

Did I like the Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup?

Yes, I did.

I would serve it in my soup restaurant....if I ever have one.  It would be on my rotating schedule...and people would love it....and they would come every day just to look for it on the daily chalkboard....and they would ask me to make it special for them...and...

Well, you get the idea.  It was good.

Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup

sopa de fideos 

For the soup

2 medium onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves

8 fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or 6 large canned tomatoes, drained

6-8 Tbl melted lard or light olive oil, as needed

Pinch of saffron (optional)

Pinch of chili poweder

3 quarts chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken breast meat

1/4 lb Mexican fideos, vermicelli, or cappellini, broken in 2-inch lengths

For the garnish

Fresh cilantro

Minced seeded hot green chilies

Diced avocado

Slivered Monterey jack cheese 

Puree onions, garlic and tomatoes in a food processor or in a blender, adding a little water if needed  to puree.  If you use a blender, pour contents through a strainer set over a bowl, then squeeze liquids out of pureed vegetables into the bowl; discard vegetables.  If you use a food processor, that step is not necessary; the soup will be faintly pink instead of clear, but a bit more flavorful.

Heat 3 tbls of melted lard or oil in a 5-quart saucepan or soup pot and slowly pour in the vegetable liquid, being careful about splattering.  Add saffron and chili powder, if using them.  simmer gently, partly covered, for 10 minutes.  Add chicken broth and simmer gently, partly covered for about 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and add chicken, keeping soup warm over very low heat. 

Heat remaining lard or oil in an 8-inch skillet and saute noodles, turning gently until golden brown, about 8 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.

Soup can be prepared to this point up to 30 minutes before finishing and serving.

Bring soup to a simmer, add noodles and cook until tender,  7 or 8 minutes. Serve immediately, garnishing each portion with a sprig of cilantro.   Pass other garnishes at the table.

I'm linking this to my own cookbook countdown (this will be cookbook 58) as well as Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads!

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend.