Speedy Soup

A nice bowl of soup is a quick and hearty meal, especially when you are pressed for time.

Food Editor J.M. Hirsch author of the cookbook High Flavor, Low Labor: Reinventing Weeknight Cooking, says the trick is to prep most of your ingredients such as rotisserie chicken, frozen peas, carrots and corn, and prepared broth.

This soup also can be partly prepped ahead in batches to make your weeknight soup needs even easier to handle. Simply buy several rotisserie chickens and double or triple the veggies needed. Fill zip-close freezer bags with some of each ingredient, add your seasonings, then freeze.

When you need a soup fix, just toss the frozen prepped soup in a saucepan with broth, bring to a simmer.

For an especially nice touch, serve this soup with crusty sourdough bread topped with fresh mozzarella and popped under the broiler for a minute. It's great for dunking.

Speedy chicken noodle soup

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

2lb rotisserie chicken

2tb olive oil

1tsp garlic powder

¹/²tsp cumin

¹/²tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried thyme

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1lb frozen blend of peas, carrots and corn kernels

2 quarts chicken broth

1 cup elbow pasta

Salt and ground black pepper

¹/² cup chopped fresh parsley

Remove the meat from the chicken, then use your fingers to pull any large pieces into bite-size chunks. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the garlic powder, cumin, paprika and thyme. Heat the seasonings for 30 seconds, then add the onion. Sauté for five minutes, then add the frozen vegetables. Sauté for another five minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer.

Add the pasta and cook for seven to eight minutes, then add the chicken meat and return to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the parsley.