Fan Fare

I’m not ashamed to admit it—I love Rachel Ray. I love that she’s not a formally trained chef, I love that she makes 30-minute meals and I love that she’s nosy enough to include a feature in her monthly magazine that looks into celebrity’s refrigerators (Kristin Chenoweth’s is the best to date). I watch her shows, I subscribe to her magazine, I own several of her cookbooks. What of it?

I’ll tell you what—she delivers consistently delicious recipes than win me rave reviews at home. Either her test kitchens are religious in their QA process or I am oddly adept at choosing only the best ones to make. Say what you will about her personality (and I’m sure there’s plenty to be said), her staff is spot-on when it comes to perfecting dishes. In the March issue of EDWRR, I found a new, yum-o soup that was simple and hearty—just what I was looking for on an unusually cold February night. Served with garlic bread basted with basil butter, this one-pot meal was reminiscent of both a chowder thanks to the dry sherry (this is one time I’m advising you not to skip an optional ingredient), and of a dumpling soup thanks to the gooey gnocchi. Score another one for Rach.

Chicken and Leek Soup with Gnocchi
Recipe courtesy of Every Day with Rachel Ray, March 2008.

Serves 4.

2 tbsp. EVOO
3 leeks, rinsed, white and light green parts sliced length-wise, then crosswise into
thin slices
4 celery hearts, cleaned and sliced thinly
½ white onion, sliced thinly
1 bay leaf
32 oz. chicken stock
2 c. heavy cream
1 lb. chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 package fresh or frozen (thawed) gnocchi, 12-16 oz.
3 tbsp. dry sherry, optional
1 tsp. smoked paprika
handful of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, onion and bay leaf and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and stir in cream. Return the soup to a bare simmer. Add the chicken, gnocchi, sherry and paprika and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley before serving.