Roasted Chicken and Potato Soup
I had a cold last week and chicken soup was just what I needed. Most people would just run to the store and grab a can of chicken noodle soup, but that’s not really an option for glutenholics. I don’t think people who buy the canned soup are doing themselves any favors anyway. The cans are usually lacking in chicken and vegetables and overloaded with salt. When sick, homemade is the way to go. And this particularly homemade chicken soup is, in my opinion, much better than “common” chicken soup because I use roasted chicken to make the broth and replace the standard noodles with potatoes.
That’s right. This recipe is MEANT to be made with a leftover whole chicken. That means two things: it’s fine if the chicken is already partially eaten and you can utilize whatever ingredients you had in your roast chicken to create your own unique broth flavor. It’s difficult to go wrong here. But I do find that starting out with a roasted chicken as opposed to a raw one turns out a richer, earthier, more flavorful broth. You can also season this broth with fresh herbs, but it’s really delicious without the added hassle.
An important thing to note is that noodles are not required to make an excellent chicken soup. I’ve used my favorite – potatoes – for the starchy component of this dish. Of course, you are welcome to use GF pasta or rice instead. And go crazy with the vegetables. I happened to have carrots and broccoli in the refrigerator, but I have also used green beans, chunks of corn on the cob and chopped bok choy. I would just recommend using a range of colors, as different colors of vegetables are supposed to contain different nutrients…and it’s prettier to look at that way.
For 6 to 8 servings:
Roasted Chicken and Potato Soup
1 Roasted Chicken (see March 3 blog “A Good Foundation”)
12 C. water
Kosher salt and pepper
3 C. diced, peeled potatoes
1 ½ C. diced carrots
1 ½ C. broccoli florets
2 C. diced or shredded cooked chicken
Remove all the remaining meat from the chicken carcass and set aside for the soup. Place the carcass in a large stock pot, along with all the leftover vegetables used for stuffing and flavoring the cavity of the roasted chicken (onion, carrot, lemon, bay leaf and garlic) as well as any remaining onions and carrots that were roasted alongside the chicken. Cover the chicken with the water. Season with 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt and ½ tsp. ground pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for at least two hours and as many as four, until the broth is very flavorful when you taste it. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Strain the broth, then let it cool and skim the fat from the surface, if desired. Return the broth to the pot and add potatoes and carrots. Bring to a boil and then add the broccoli. Once the vegetables are tender (about 10 to 15 minutes), turn off the heat and stir in the reserved chicken.
Thought I’d pass along a tip about chicken (or turkey) broth that I learned when I lived in Paris and took some cooking classes….from an Irish chef but anyway. He said to put the carcass and some onions, carrots, celery, etc. into a dry roasting pan and roast it at a pretty high temp till it gets dry and brown. Then put it in the pot on the stove with water to cover and the broth is more flavorful. I have done it zillions of times and I think the result is great. The roasting takes maybe 20 minutes. You strain everything out leaving a really good broth.
Wow, sounds a lot like this recipe! Glad I’m on the right track, thanks!
mmmmmmm.