Hungarian-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

A robust variant on chicken noodle soup. Even though it packes a lot of spices, the flavors mellow out during the cooking process. Not to say you can’t bump them back up….

Chicken noodle soup, as some say, is good for the soul. It has also been known to be a cure-all in some family lore. Bumping up the spices, including hot Hungarian paprika, will burn out any ailment you might have. Alternatively, it makes a hearty soup, and the thin noodles are so fun to eat (try not to make a mess).

SOFTWARE

·       14.5 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes

·       1 t. minced ginger

·       5 cloves of garlic, whole

·       3 to 4 serrano chiles, destemmed (remove seeds and ribs if you want to avoid major heat. Otherwise, leave them in)

·       2 T. olive oil

·       1 T. hot Hungarian paprika

·       2 t. cumin seeds

·       1 # chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into bite sized pieces

·       8 c. chicken stock

·       2 red bell peppers, destemmed, seeded, and cut into bite sized pieces.

·       8 baby carrots, cut across middle

·       8 oz. can cut green beans, drained

·       4 oz. chopped green cabbage

·       6 oz. thin rice noodles

·       3 T. lemon juice

·       Salt and pepper for seasoning

METHOD

1.       In a blender, puree the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, serrano chiles, oil, paprika, and cumin seeds. Blend until smooth.

2.       In a cast iron Dutch oven over medium high heat, pour the tomato mixture in and add the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.       Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil

4.       Once at a boil, reduce the heat to medium. Add the peppers, carrots, green beans, and cabbage. Cover the pot with a lid that is only halfway on, cooking for 25 minutes.

5.       Add the noodles and lemon juice, cooking for another 5 minutes.

6.       Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper. Do not skip this step!

7.       Serve hot in bowls.

8.       Enjoy

VARIANTS

If you find the spice too much, replace the hot paprika with smoked paprika. Don’t leave it out. You will miss out on the Hungarian nuance of the dish. You can use scallions and/or cilantro as garnish, but those are not welcome in my house.