On a recent afternoon, I had a call from my schoolteacher daughter. Her voice sounded low and gravelly, more like actor Harvey Fierstein than her usual Mary Poppins. Nose blowing trumpeted after many sentences. I knew homemade chicken noodle soup would help allay her symptoms, but I needed the process to be quick and easy.

I thumbed through Julia Turshen’s newest cookbook, “What Goes With What” (Flatiron Books), and found a recipe dubbed “fastest chicken noodle soup.” Bingo.

Fastest chicken noodle soup

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

2 large (or 3 medium) carrots, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons sweet paprika; see cook’s notes

10 cups boiling water (or not boiling, but the soup will take a little longer to cook)

2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken base

One 12-ounce package wide egg noodles

2 large garlic cloves, minced

For serving: Chopped fresh dill or Italian parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Place oil in large heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven) over high heat. Add chicken and carrots, and season with salt, garlic powder and paprika. Cook, stirring now and then, until chicken is opaque all over and just barely firm, about 8 minutes (it’s OK if it’s not totally cooked through at this point).

2. Add the water and stir in the Better Than Bouillon; do this cautiously because it may splatter at first. Bring to a boil (this should be nearly instant if you’re using boiling water). Turn down heat to medium. Stir in the egg noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are just tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and, if using, add Frank’s RedHot to taste.

3. Taste and add salt if needed. Sprinkle fresh dill or parsley on top of each serving.

Source: “What Goes With What,” by Julia Turshen (Flatiron Books)