Tips for Leftover Chicken Soup

Adam and I are seriously ready for sun, sand and warm temperatures after all this snow.  In hopes for warmer weather, we just checked the 10-day forecast for our area and saw the following: little snowflakes, rain drops, cold temperatures and wind… not what we had in mind!

Even though we both have dreamy desktop backgrounds with images of white sand beaches, palm trees and hammocks, we are being forced to realize the winter weather is not over and have turned to activities which do not require flip flops, may call for thermal underwear and most definitely demand the use of a bulky winter jacket and on occasion a snow shovel.  We have also upped our game in the kitchen renovation department.  No, we are not done, but getting close.

And last, but not least, we have been cranking out as many hot steamy bowls of soup as we can.  So, we thought we would share a few tips with you for making a great pot of soup:

We posted this in September of last year, but thought you might find it useful today…

Since its just the two of us (plus Marmalade), Adam and I almost always have leftovers.  We used to be so terrible about using them up (and to be honest, sometimes still are), but we are getting better and usually find whatever we do with the leftovers turns out to be tastier than the original meal anyway.  In our opinion, the best way to use up those leftovers is soup, so we figured we would give you a few ideas for something pretty common in our condo, leftover chicken soup:

#1 Depending on what you have in stock, create a base using an assortment of onions, garlic, celery and carrots.  Cut the onions, celery and carrots into 1/2 inch dice for a heartier soup.

#2 As a basic process, saute your base vegetables for about 10 minutes to draw out the natural sugars, then add any dried herbs and seasonings along with the leftover chicken and finally add the chicken stock,  we usually add 4 cups (two boxes of broth) and simmer for about 20 minutes.

#3 Add some pasta, rice or uncooked potatoes to the soup for some heartiness, for 4 cups of chicken broth use about 1/2 -  3/4 cups of uncooked rice and pasta and 1 large uncooked potato cut into cubes.  If you are using rice, add it at the same time as the chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes.  If you are adding pasta, add it 10 minutes before serving so the pasta does not get overcooked.  For potatoes, add them 5 minutes into sauteing the base vegetables.

#4 Just before you add chicken stock add a mixture of dried herbs for extra depth of flavor, my favorites are to add one bay leaf and about a tablespoon of  herbs du Provence or Italian Seasoning per 4 cups of chicken stock

#5 Season all layers of the soup with salt and pepper to create a well-seasoned soup.  While sauteing the base vegetables lightly season with salt and pepper, then after adding the chicken broth season to taste, this way the soup will be seasoned not salty.  By adding salt at the beginning of the process, you are able to draw out the natural sweetness of the base vegetables, adding more flavor to the soup.  If you only add salt at the end, it is very easy to find yourself with a salty soup.

#6 If you have it in stock, add one can of diced tomatoes for a richer broth or a can of beans, just make sure you rinse the beans before adding them to the soup.

#7 If you have some to use up, add leftover mashed potatoes to the broth to make a thicker soup.

#8 For a creamier and more luscious soup you could add about 1/4 cup of milk or half and half or even allow some mascarpone cheese to melt into the soup.  This also rounds out the flavors nicely.

Here’s our generic recipe for leftover chicken soup, but you should really play around with it, there are so many options!

Leftover Chicken Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 carrots
1 medium onion
3 celery stalks
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup leftover chicken
1 tablespoon herds de Provence
1 bay leaf
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup uncooked pasta
salt and pepper

Dice the carrots, onion and celery into 1/2 inch dice.  Add the olive oil and diced vegetables to a large soup pot over medium heat, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, then saute for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, add the minced garlic and saute for another 5 minutes.

Add the herbs du Provence and chicken to the vegetables and saute for another minute.  Add the bay leaf, chicken stock and tomatoes then bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, then season to taste.

After 10 minutes, add the pasta and continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the pasta and vegetables are cooked, but not mushy.

Tagged as: Chicken, leftovers, soup, tips