Superior Soup

While there are few things as comforting as chicken noodle soup, there are also few foods as dull. Aside from adding fresh herbs and vegetables—one major step in the right direction—there are tweaks of the ethnic sort that can transform this traditional winter classic into a dish that surprises guests without sacrificing any of the soulful sustenance of the original. Though poaching or roasting your own chicken isn’t terribly time-consuming, purchasing a roasted chicken at the grocery can speed things up. -Kristen Wolfe Bieler and Denise Shoukas

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