A Spotlight On Allrecipes Allstar: Nicole Russell

Nicole is one of the 60 million cooks in our Allrecipes community and an Allrecipes Allstar.

What is an Allstar? Food bloggers, registered dietitians, and more home cooks (just like you!) make up our enthusiastic squad of 100+ brand ambassadors. This crew of food lovers has submitted thousands of recipes, photos, and reviews over the years, plus share their cooking expertise all over our website and social channels. In short, they make all of our cooking adventures more successful. Interested in becoming an Allrecipes Allstar? Learn more, and sign up here.

Q&A with Nicole

Allrecipes: Tell us about yourself!

NR: My Allrecipes friends know me as Soup Loving Nicole, and I live on eight acres in Arkansas. I raise chickens as pets and love gardening, experimenting in the kitchen, and fishing. I have two Great Pyrenees fur babies; They watch over my feather babies so well that I tend to spoil them with homemade dog-friendly cakes.

AR: Why Soup Loving Nicole?

NR: I love soup and make it year-round. As a child, I ate canned soup regularly, and as an adult, I realized I could make it better from scratch.

AR: What is your favorite soup to make?

NR: Hands down, Dill Pickle Soup! I have made it over a dozen times using different varieties of pickles and different add-ins. In fact, I ran out yesterday to buy the ingredients to make it for dinner. As usual, it didn't disappoint. I will say that adding chopped potatoes is a must.

close up view of Dill Pickle Soup in a white mug next to a red checkered kitchen towel — Soup Loving Nicole

AR: What's a fun fact about yourself?

NR: I'm an adventurous cook, and there is nothing I won't try. I've cooked beaver, squirrel, dove hearts, wild duck, wild alligator, Canadian Goose, and even venison rocky mountain oysters.

AR: Wow! When did you prepare a dish with squirrels? Tell us everything!

NR: A fellow Allstar dared me to prepare this recipe. It is not like you can run to a supermarket and purchase squirrels. So, living outside city limits, I set traps, and it was only a matter of minutes before I had my two squirrels. I did the hunting, and thankfully, my husband took on the skinning and gutting part. I couldn't have done that.

AR: What kitchen tools can you not live without?

NR: My Air Fryer is a lifesaver. There isn't much it won't do, and it always gets it right. I currently have four different styles and use at least one of them daily. My job, along with the commute, keeps me away from the house 11 hours each day during the week, and this tool makes it easy to cook delicious meals at home.

AR: Why so many types of Air Fryers?

NR: I never planned on four Air Fryers, but I received three in a long-term product testing program I am doing with Allrecipes. Confession time: the testing has been over for a while, but they are all still sitting on my kitchen counter. I can't decide which one to box up for later use! I'm definitely keeping two of them out at all times. I'm constantly multitasking with them. I'll have dinner going in one while prepping for breakfast and snacks for work in the other. Over the years, I have determined that I could not live without my Air Fryer.

AR: What's on your cooking/eating bucket list?

NR: I've wanted to try a rattlesnake for years. I don't necessarily want to encounter one, but it will be off my bucket list when I do.

AR: What's your go-to meal when you want to raid the fridge and pantry and avoid cooking?

NR: Jazzed-up Ramen Noodles are the easiest way to utilize leftover veggies and protein. Add Sriracha, and it's perfect!

Better Homemade

Nicole hasn't always enjoyed cooking, but that changed when she found Allrecipes many years ago. Growing up, Nicole's Mother was always active in the kitchen, ensuring they had a sit-down dinner as a family. To this day, "her health is failing, and she gets confused easily, but she still gets in that kitchen every day and tries. This inspires me daily", says Nicole.

When she was newly married, Nicole was apprehensive in the kitchen. "I was like, doesn't dinner make itself?" Nicole laughs. Feeling helpless, she leaned on the little books chock full of casserole and one-pot pasta recipes at the grocery register to guide her. Those left her with many never-ending leftovers and too many casseroles for her liking. Enter Allrecipes.com, and the rest is history! Nicole credits Allrecipes for empowering her in the kitchen to experiment and tackle anything confidently.

And it all started with soups. As a child, Nicole ate canned soups regularly and loved them. As an adult, she realized how much better they are when homemade. From there, she started making everything at home. Her love of Asian, Mexican, and Southern-style barbecue often leads to a fusion of flavors in many of her recipes. Armed with her handy air fryers or pressure cooker, Nicole now considers herself a foodie and is always up for a good challenge in the kitchen.