Chicken Soup

**bellamiany** · 09-17-2005, 04:31 PM

Hi..I was going to roast my own chicken and I've seen on past posts..people using the carcass another day to make soup....my question is do you take all the meat off the carcass...exactly how do you make soup out of it?

**forestdale** · 09-17-2005, 06:26 PM

Making chicken soup with the carcass is an easy and simple thing to do.

Roast your chicken as normal and remove as much of the flesh as you want. You'll be left with the skeleton with a little bit of flesh still attached to the bones. This won't be wasted, it will be in your soup. If you want more chicken in the soup, leave more meat on the bones.

To make a simple stock, place the carcass in a stockpot with enough water to cover the bones - about 4 pints. Add salt and pepper according to your taste and also add spices and herbs that you like - such as a bayleaf, parsley and thyme. Boil this gently, with the lid on, for about an hour. Take out the carcass and remove all the meat that hasn't fallen off. Then just add whatever else you want in your soup. This could be diced vegetables, noodles, rice, herb dumplings or pasta. It depends on what you like. When the last additions are cooked, your soup is ready.

**dina** · 09-18-2005, 07:39 AM

I just did this with the remains of a big, plump baking chicken -- there was lot of meat left clinging to the bones that wouldn't come off easily so I decided to make soup. I don't always bother with a chicken though -- it depends. Will have the last of the soup today. You can also do this with a turkey. We always have turkey and noodles after Thanksgiving. You may have to break the turkey carcass up a little bit to get it in your pot.

I always make the broth ahead and put it in the fridge -- its easier to skim the fat off the top that way. If your broth congeals thats okay -- it's from the gelatin in the bones. It will go back to liquid form when you heat it.

**bellamiany** · 09-18-2005, 11:34 AM

thank you so much for the recipe how-to...before discovering this sight I actually would never had thought to use my chicken carcass like that...After looking through this sight and seeing all the wonderful ideas..I started planning meals and "planned overs" and we have already seen the savings..it's just DH and me and we constantly eat out..and waste money we could use to pay off our bills..so I just decided I'm going ot sit down and plan weekly meals and last week was our first week...it was fun...for example I love to make creamy italian chicken in the crockpot with cream cheese and cream of chicken soup....I served with rice and broccoli the next night I took a can of 10 biscuits and shredded up the leftover chicken in the leftover sauce, added milk to stretch sauce and poured over the biscuits...voila chicken and dumplings I served with peas and corn...I feel more "wifey"..if that could be a word..I know that might sound strange....I always have loved to cook but haven't been doing it so often..because we eat out so much...but last week was fun and DH is in the military and he's been getting off late like 830pm etc..and so when he comes home he has had a nice homemade meal..instead of "okay where do you want to go to grab something"...he also has been very appreciative and thanking me, and telling me how much he appreciates me etc..it feels really nice....and I think this is something I should've been doing a long time ago!!
I'm sorry this is such a long post but really I just want to thank all of you for such wonderful tips and advice!! Not only has it helped us start saving money but it so much fun to make stuff homemade and make DH appreciate me even more... yeah!!! Thank You To All Again !!!!!!!
Tiffany

**forestdale** · 09-18-2005, 04:00 PM

It's good to hear your DH is appreciative of your cooking, Tiffany. WTG you!

Have you looked at the OAMC threads? If you cook more than what you need for a meal, you can freeze a couple of extra meals and eat those on the nights when you're busy or too tired to cook.

Home cooking is one of the things most men appreciate. It's better for you than eating out and you know exactly what you're eating. So you're on to a winner with the cooking and you're saving money. How good is that.

**babetteq** · 09-18-2005, 04:36 PM

good for you! It's a challenge to learn how to cook if you've never been taught. I had to teach myself too. Just wait until you're making your biscuits from scratch instead of 'cans' of biscuits (I've never seen those!), and make you're own cream of celery soup, so that your creamy chicken dish is home made from start to finish!!!!!

If you want any recipes or tips on how to make things, post and we will respond!!!

babs

**jlxian** · 09-19-2005, 09:41 AM

Just an addition --- In addition to the carcass, vegetables, and seasonings, I always add whatever pan juices are left from roasting the chicken which contains a lot of flavor.

**Michele Annette** · 09-19-2005, 05:15 PM

That's great Tiffany! Remember the same goes for a turkey if you ever roast one for a holiday or whenever. I always make turkey soup and it turns out wonderful. The great thing about a turkey is that it makes even more alternative meals and you can freeze the broth if you make extra for more batches of soup. I can get three large batches (about 16 cups each) of good turkey broth out of one turkey using a huge stock pot to stew the turkey carcass in!