Recipe: Carol’s Easy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Estimated Cost:  $9.00

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time:  90 minutes

Serves:  8

A yummy and easy to prepare chicken veggie soup from my friend Carol.  Look to Carol’s comments, below, for some awesome variations!

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (how to)
1 whole roasted chicken
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 bags (12 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. When heated to medium, add the onion and garlic powder and cook until onion is tender and translucent.

2. Skin and debone the chicken. Put the skin and bones into a large stock pot with the sautéed onions. Over medium heat, bring the water to a boil; lower heat to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Shred or cube 3 cups of chicken while the stock simmers.

4. Strain the stock to remove the skin and bones. Add the frozen vegetables, celery, and chicken. Return to a simmer for 20 minutes. Stir and Enjoy!

Carol’s comments:

You can add ingredients like beans, canned tomatoes, etc.

One variation is to add a big jar of salsa and a can of black beans to the broth along with the vegetables and put some tortilla strips or chips on top when serving – BAM! Tortilla soup.

Recipe: Easy Chicken Stock

Estimated Cost:  $2.00

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cook Time:  4 hours

Serves:  4 – 6 cups stock

Having refrigerated (or frozen) chicken stock on hand can jump start so many recipes.  Not only does it speed up preparation time, homemade chicken stock just adds extra love into whatever you are cooking.  
I use a lot of precooked rotisserie chickens in my recipes, many of which are already available here at Kitchen Survival.  I NEVER throw away the carcass of the bird before making up a batch of chicken stock.

Leftover bones and skin from a cooked or raw chicken carcass
1 lg. onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped (include some leaves)
1 large carrot, chopped
1 tsp. parsley
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Put chicken carcass (including skin) into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Add onion, celery, carrot, parsley, salt, and pepper.

2. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to a simmer. Simmer uncovered at least 4 hours, occasionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface.

3. Remove the bones and strain the stock.

4. Stock may be refrigerated (for up to 10 days) or frozen for future use.

Mike’s comments:

I always freeze my chicken stock in 1 cup portions using Ziploc containers. You can thaw it in minutes, either on the stove or microwave. In this way you don’t risk letting your hard work spoil in the fridge.