Chicken soup gets exotic makeover
This may not be your mama’s chicken soup, but each of these dishes can have that same magical soothing power.
Pho is the name of the Vietnamese soup with rice noodles that gets its distinct flavor from star anise. Chinese hot and sour soup is a low-calorie burst of flavor.
The Tex-Mex soup makes a complete meal.
Quick Chicken and Shiitake Pho
8 ounces rice noodles
8 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 pod star anise
3 whole cloves
1-inch-thick slice peeled fresh ginger
1 cup (2 ounces) sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 pound thin-sliced chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
3 scallions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Basil leaves (for garnish)
Cook the noodles in plenty of lightly salted boiling water according to package directions (usually about 3 minutes). Drain and set aside.
Combine the broth, lime juice and fish sauce in a soup pot. Tie the star anise pod, cloves and ginger together in a piece of cheesecloth, or enclose them in a tea infuser, and place the packet in the pot. Boil the broth for 5 minutes; add the shiitakes, onion and chicken and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer 6 to 7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir in the noodles, scallions and cilantro. Ladle into bowls and garnish each with a basil leaf.
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrition per serving: 402 calories, 7 grams fat (2 grams saturated, 16 percent fat calories), 29 grams protein, 53 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram dietary fiber, 1,275 milligrams sodium.
Tex-Mex Chicken and Vegetable Soup
Add more heat by combining 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper with the cumin in the first step, or by stirring in red pepper flakes at the end.
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup (uncooked) white rice
6 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with jalapeno
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced yellow squash
2 cups (10 ounces) chopped cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, cumin and garlic and cook, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes or until softened. Add the rice and broth and bring to a boil; immediately reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Add the beans, tomatoes, zucchini and yellow squash and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the cilantro and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrition per serving: 325 calories, 7 grams fat (1 gram saturated, 19 percent fat calories), 32 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams dietary fiber, 1,619 milligrams sodium.