spicy hot chicken soup

This soup is excellent for eating when you have a cold. From the Penzey's catalog.

about 8 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)

2 T vegetable oil

2 medium onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 t cayenne pepper

1 t powdered ginger

8 c water

2 T chicken soup base

3/4 lb extra wide egg noodles

2 scallions

Cut the chicken meat into 3/4" cubes. In a large, heavy pot or soup kettle, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, and then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the onions and garlic until everything is starting to brown up, add the cayenne pepper and ginger.

Stir constantly for about a minute, and then add the water and chicken soup base. Let everything come to a slow boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Bring a separate pot of water for the noodles to a boil, add noodles and cook for 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time on the bag. Drain the noodles and add to the pot of soup, turn off the soup, let stand 5 minutes and serve. Top each bowl with a sprinkling of chopped scallions.

Noodles don't reheat very well, so if the soup won't be eaten all at once, add some cooked noodles to each bowl, top with soup, let stand a few minutes for the noodles to absorb the chicken flavor, and keep the rest of the noodles in a covered container in the fridge to add to the reheated soup the next day, or just cook new ones.