Pink of Perfection

When the weather turns rainy and cold, I want to be snug as a bug in my apartment slurping down something spicy, even if I have been eating a hell of a lot of soup lately. With its rounded saltiness from the fish sauce, a fresh zing from cilantro and lime, and jalapeno to clear your nasal passages, this soup stands in nicely for the neighborhood Thai place when you can’t bear to brave the elements. Shallots would have been nice in place of the red onion here, and leftover roast chicken can stand in place of the poached chicken breast. Feel free to work with whatever you have on hand. When the cats and dogs are coming down, you can hardly be expected to do anything else.

Asian-ish Chicken Noodle Soup

1 pound cooked chicken breast, shredded
6 oz dried rice noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small red onion, diced, about 1 cup
3 slices fresh ginger
1/2 jalapeno (if you seed it, you can probably stand to use the whole thing)
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
cilantro, chopped

1. Soak rice noodles in large bowl of hot water for about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add vegetable oil, and saute onions, ginger, jalapeno, and red pepper until soft and onion is slightly browned.
3. Add stock, water, shredded chicken, and rice noodles and simmer for a few minutes. Remove ginger. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice.
4. Serve garnished with lots of cilantro. Take leftovers for lunch and remember the weekend that was.