Miso Hen Soup With Squash and Tiny Pasta

My ultimate sick day soup is one which includes minimal cooking however feels immensely cozy and healthful. Even after I’m beneath the climate, I don’t wish to accept bland. This riff on rooster noodle soup requires you to deliver a pot of broth to a boil…and that’s about it. Gently poaching a single rooster breast within the broth retains it tender and moist, as kabocha squash and ditalini pasta launch simply sufficient starch whereas they cook dinner (in the identical pot!) to provide the soup velvety physique. I like kabocha as a result of it simmers to a delightfully buttery texture, however acorn and delicata would work too. (You may as well choose to skip the peeler and maintain the pores and skin of the kabocha on; simply give it a great scrub for those who go this route.) Add kale to be sure to’re getting your greens and an enormous scoop of miso for savory taste (we like crimson right here for its richer style). End with an non-obligatory drizzle of chili oil, and you’ve got a soup that’s scrumptious in illness and in well being.

Although I’m a lifelong devotee to Lao Gan Ma chili crisp (see right here and right here), this recipe is one place the place I maintain it on the shelf. In lieu of a extra textural chili crisp or crunch, a plain chili oil, like this one from Lee Kum Kee, pairs greatest with the mellow flavors of this soup.

Learn Extra: A Healthful Hen Noodle Soup for Sick Days

Recipe info

Elements

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Carry 4 cups low-sodium rooster broth and 4 cups water to a rolling boil in a medium Dutch oven or different heavy pot. Add 1 medium skinless, boneless rooster breast (about 8 oz.), cowl, and take away pot from warmth. Let rooster sit till cooked by, about quarter-hour, then switch to a plate. Shred with 2 forks; put aside.

   Step 2

   Return broth again to a boil over medium-high warmth. Add ½ medium kabocha squash, peeled, seeds eliminated, reduce into ½”-thick wedges, and cook dinner till beginning to grow to be tender, about 5 minutes. Add 6 oz. ditalini or different small pasta and cook dinner, stirring sometimes with a wood spoon to maintain pasta from sticking to backside of pot, till very al dente, 6–8 minutes.

   Step 3

   Scale back warmth to medium-low. Add 1 small bunch Tuscan kale, ribs and stems eliminated, leaves thinly sliced, and 3 Tbsp. crimson miso; season with freshly floor pepper. Prepare dinner, stirring usually to dissolve miso and break up among the squash, till kale is wilted, about 3 minutes. Style soup and season with kosher salt if wanted (the miso could present sufficient salinity, relying on the model). Stir in reserved shredded rooster and cook dinner simply till warmed by.

   Step 4

   Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with chili oil if desired; season with extra pepper.