Comforting recipes from Alison Roman's new cookbook

When it comes to comfort food, more is often more. Alison Roman’s cookbook Something From Nothing is packed with recipes that can be made in bulk then stored away for those chilly weeknights when you want something easy for dinner.

Chicken noodle soup with lots of lemon

“I don’t want any surprises from my chicken noodle soup. I want tender, puffy noodles swimming in a savoury broth, lightly sweetened by little coins of carrots. I want perfectly cooked bits of chicken throughout and I want it pleasantly sour from tons of lemon.”

Prep time: 10 minutes 
Cook time: 30 minutes 
Serves: 4-6 

Ingredients

2.85L chicken broth 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
450g boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
120g egg noodles or pasta of your choice 
2-3 medium carrots, thinly sliced 
1 small brown onion, very thinly sliced
1 tsp fish sauce, plus more to taste (optional)
A handful of parsley, very finely chopped 
20g dill, very finely chopped 
2 lemons, halved for squeezing
Saltine crackers, for serving (optional)

Method

Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a large pot. Season with salt and (lots of ) pepper and add the chicken. Cook the chicken at a gentle simmer until cooked through, 12-15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a separate large pot of salted boiling water until just before al dente (if using egg noodles, this will happen faster than pasta, about four or five minutes). Drain and set aside. 

Once the chicken is cooked through, pluck it from the broth and let it cool slightly on a cutting board or plate. As soon as it’s cool enough, shred it with your hands or two forks and set aside. 

Add the carrots, onion and fish sauce (if using) to the broth and simmer for a few minutes, until the carrots and onion are tender. Add the noodles, chicken, parsley and dill to the broth. Bring to a simmer and season again with salt, pepper and a dash more fish sauce to taste. Add the lemon juice and remove from heat. 

To serve, divide among the bowls and place saltine crackers on the side.

Weeknight lamb ragù with anchovy

“You could also use pork, beef or a mix and it will turn out great – this recipe is really just a Trojan horse to inspire you to add anchovies or fish sauce to a quick ragù. These pantry staples deepen the flavours, adding complexity that’s usually achieved only through time.”

Prep time: 15 minutes 
Cook time: 60 minutes 
Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
2 anchovy fillets or ½ tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
450g lamb mince
2 x 400g tins crushed tomatoes
350g dried pasta (noodles or tubes), for serving
A good hunk of Parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated, for serving
A small handful of marjoram, thyme or oregano leaves for serving (optional)

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and softened, five to eight minutes. Add a pinch of chilli flakes (if using) and the anchovies and cook for a minute or two to toast pepper and melt anchovies.

Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring occasionally so it has a chance to stick to the bottom of the pot and caramelise a bit, about two to three minutes.

Add the lamb and season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, stir until the fat starts to soften and the meat begins to break down. Continue to cook, stirring rather frequently, until the lamb begins to brown and sizzle in its own fat, eight to 10 minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes, stirring to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pot. Fill the empty tin halfway with water, swirling to get any excess tomato hanging around, and add to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened and insanely flavourful, about 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until just before al dente, reserving one cup of the pasta water. Drain and transfer the pasta back to the pot.

To serve, toss the sauce into the pasta along with half the pasta water. Cook over medium heat until the pasta is perfectly cooked and nicely dressed, two to three minutes. Remove from the heat and divide among bowls, topping with plenty of cheese. Scatter with herbs.

Dilly bean stew with cabbage and frizzled onions

“The low number of deceptively modest ingredients in this recipe might lead you to believe that it doesn’t have what it takes to be your new favourite stew – but I assure you, it does. There’s two secrets: the onions must be frizzled (between caramelised and fried) for depth and beans must be cooked and lightly crushed before liquid is added (or your stew will stay a soup).” 

Prep time: 10 minutes 
Cook time: 45 minutes 
Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more (or more olive oil) to serve
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve
1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 x 400g tins white beans, such as haricot (navy), butter (lima) or cannellini, drained and rinsed
1L vegetable or chicken stock
¼ head cabbage, core removed, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp white distilled vinegar or fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
40g dill, coarsely chopped
Sour cream, for serving (optional)

Method

Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, without stirring too much or too frequently so the onions get nicely browned and frizzled, five to eight minutes. You don’t want jammy, caramelised onions but you also don’t want them burnt so adjust the heat and stir as needed. Using a slotted spoon, transfer one-quarter of the onions to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the beans and season with salt and pepper. Using the back of a spoon, smash some of the beans, breaking them up to release the creamy, starchy interior (this is what will thicken your stew). I say “some of” because we aren’t making refried beans or bean purée. Think whole, tender beans swimming in a pot of creamy, broken-down, lightly brothy beans.

Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the texture is to your liking (soupier, stewier – you choose) and everything is tasting nice and savoury, 15-20 minutes. Add the cabbage and vinegar, stirring to wilt. Simmer until the cabbage is tender and all the flavours have melded, 10-15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and more vinegar if you like.

Remove from the heat and stir in half of the dill. Divide among bowls and top with more dill and some frizzled onions. Add a teeny knob of softened butter or a drizzle of olive oil and, if the mood strikes, some sour cream.

This is an edited extract from Something from Nothing by Alison Roman (Quadrille, RRP$49.99).

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Published: 2 July 2026