My ideal sick day soup is one that involves minimal cooking but feels immensely cozy and wholesome. Even when I’m under the weather, I don’t want to settle for bland. This riff on chicken noodle soup requires you to bring a pot of broth to a boil…and that’s about it. Gently poaching a single chicken breast in the broth keeps it tender and moist, as kabocha squash and ditalini pasta release just enough starch while they cook (in the same pot!) to give the soup velvety body. I like kabocha because it simmers to a delightfully buttery texture, but acorn and delicata would work too. (You can also opt to skip the peeler and keep the skin of the kabocha on; just give it a good scrub if you go this route.) Add kale to make sure you’re getting your greens and a big scoop of miso for savory flavor (we like red here for its richer taste). Finish with an optional drizzle of chili oil, and you have a soup that’s delicious in sickness and in health.
Though I am a lifelong devotee to Lao Gan Ma chili crisp (see here and here), this recipe is one place where I keep it on the shelf. In lieu of a more textural chili crisp or crunch, a plain chili oil, like this one from Lee Kum Kee, pairs best with the mellow flavors of this soup.
