Depending on what you like and what's available, this recipe works well with both red (which has traditional curry ingredients plus chile powder and can be spicier) or classic Indian yellow curry powder.
Be sure to buy good-quality dried porcini mushrooms (with large white cross sections). Cheaper ones are dark and shriveled and have an overly pungent aroma, which will give the stew an off taste.
Salsa and chili powder add spice to this chicken stew, but probably not too much for timid tasters or kids. If you want to kick up the heat, use a hot salsa and a dash of hot sauce or ground red pepper.
'My husband and I enjoy visiting the apple orchards in nearby Nebraska City,' explains Carol Mathias of Lincoln, Nebraska. 'We always buy cider to use in this sensational slow-cooked stew.'
To make the soup ahead, omit the pasta and refrigerate or freeze the soup. As the soup reheats over medium heat, cook pasta separately according to package directions, then stir it in shortly before serving. Use leaves from celery stalks as a garnish.
