Step-By-Step Chicken & Vegetable Soup From Scratch

In my last few blog posts, I touched on how and why we are spring cleaning both our diet and our budget.  We have rotisserie chicken about once a week for dinner, and I usually end up using the leftover chicken in another meal that week.  This time, I wanted to try to stretch out the leftover rotisserie chicken to make two additional meals.  I used 1 cup of the leftover chicken to make a yummy Chicken Parmigiana Pasta Casserole, which was not only easy, but it was so incredibly delicious!  The second meal I made from the leftover rotisserie chicken was this chicken and vegetable soup using the carcass and skin to make a homemade broth.  My family raved over this soup!  That stinking rotisserie chicken was used to feed my family three separate meals!  Talk about saving money!  

Here's how I did it.  

Chicken Stock Ingredients:

• Leftover rotisserie (or roasted) chicken carcass and skin (with some meat on the bones if possible)
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped 
• 1 c onion, chopped 
• 3 large garlic cloves, cut in half 
• 2 rosemary sprigs 
• 2 thyme sprigs 
• 2 parsley sprigs
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 14 c water 

Soup Ingredients:

• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 
• 1 celery stalk, chopped 
• 3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley 
• 1/2 tsp sugar 
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 c leftover rotisserie chicken, chopped 
• 1 c corn 
• 2 c water, or as needed to thin to desired consistency 

Directions:

Make the chicken stock.  In a large pot, add the chicken carcass and skin, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.  Bunch together the rosemary, thyme, and parsley and tie with kitchen string to make bouquet garni.  Place the bouquet garni on top of the other ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour water over all.

Bring the water to a boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer for four hours.  Give the pot a little stir every now and again.

Remove the bouquet garni from the pot.  Strain the chicken stock through a fine mesh sieve, mashing down on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible.  Allow the chicken stock to cool.  Cover and chill overnight.  The following day, skim the fat that rises and discard it.

When you are ready to make your soup, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat in a large pot.  Add the carrots and celery and boil for 5 minutes.  Add the potatoes, salt, parsley, sugar, garlic, and pepper.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Stir in the chicken and corn.  Pour in the water.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  The soup is ready when the vegetables are soft.

ladle in soup bowls.  Garnish with parsley.

Enjoy!