Roasted Chicken Soup

Texas has had a week of snow and ice. We don't handle this very well. Not well at all! The Metroplex shut down with an inch of ice and predicted snow.So what do we do? We build a fire in the fireplace, watch old movies and cook!
This is my favorite go-to comfort soup. I found it in an old issue of Cooking Light.
Several things make this soup different: the delicious creaminess comes from skim condensed milk, no added fat; a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store makes it quick and simple to prepare.
Here is the original recipe. It uses canned low-sodium chicken broth. I'll show you how easy it is to make your own broth by cleaning out the vegetable drawer.

Roasted-Chicken Noodle Soup

·         Yield: 2 1/2 quarts (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 6 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 4 cups diced peeled baking potato
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups diced leftover roasted chicken
• 1 cup evaporated skim milk
• 4 ounces (2 cups) uncooked wide egg noodles
• Fresh thyme (optional)

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic clove; sauté 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour, oregano, thyme, and poultry seasoning over vegetables, and cook 1 minute. Stir in broth, potato, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 25 minutes or until potato is tender. Add roasted chicken, milk, and noodles, and cook 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.

Nutritional Information--Amount per serving·         Calories: 215 per serving

You notice this recipe calls for potatoes and noodles. I don't need that many carbs. I use potatoes because they stay firm and don't absorb all the broth when leftover and rewarmed. The choice is yours.

HOMEMAKE CHICKEN STOCK:

Separate bones and skin from rotisserie chicken.
I make several meals out of one chicken. The dark meat is
served for dinner with Stove Top Stuffing and steamed broccoli.
The white meat is reserved for soup, casseroles or chicken salad.

Clean out the vegetable drawer of any onions, celery, carrots
or vegetable that needs to be used. Throw in the chicken
bones and skin. Cover with water. Add a couple of bay leaves
and a teaspoon of poultry seasoning.

Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for at least
an hour or until any residual meat falls off the bone.

Put your feet up and eat a yummy salad while the stock simmers.

Cool and strain. I strain twice. The second time through
a fine strainer to remove bits of fat. If you have time to
refrigerate overnight you can remove additional fat. (To
store stock for later use pour into jars and place in refrigerator.
the layer of fat on top helps preserve stock, but ust be skimmed off before use in soups or sauces.) 

 ROASTED CHICKEN SOUP 

Set stock aside. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to stockpot.

Saute 1 cup each chopped onions, carrots and celery.

I like to use at least a teaspoon of Herbes de Provence
 in addition to the required poultry seasoning.

Add 1/4 cup of flour to veggie mix. Cook for one minute.

Stir in six cups of chicken broth

and diced potatoes

Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered,
25 minutes or until potato is tender.

  

Add milk 

and roasted chicken. Stir and taste. If it doesn't
have enough flavor, CHEAT! Add a tablespoon of
Better Than Bouillion!

Garnish with fresh thyme (which I never have on hand)!

 You are going to love this soup! It's easy, fast, light, and will warm the cockles of your heart. Serve with a salad and crusty bread. Yummy!