I love how my local grocery has chickens spinning and roasting, ready to take home and serve up. But don’t stop there. You can stretch a rotisserie chicken into a hearty pot full of delicious soup for a crowd!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6 or more

Ingredients

1 store-bought cooked rotisserie chicken
2 large onions, chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
8 cups water
2 cups egg noodles
1 tablespoon or so of summer savory, sage or thyme
1 cup or so frozen corn
1 cup or so frozen peas
sprinkle or two of salt and lots of freshly ground pepper

Procedure

Dissect your chicken, separating the meat from the bones. Reserve the meat. Put the bones in a stockpot, cover with water and a tight lid then simmer one hour. Strain, discard the bones and return the broth to the stockpot. Toss in onion, carrot, celery, herb, salt and pepper. Simmer with a tight-fitting lid until the vegetables are barely cooked, about 20 minutes.

Add the egg noodles and cook until almost tender. Add the peas, corn and reserved chicken and simmer to heat through, about 5 minutes or so. Season to your taste with salt and pepper. Your pot of homemade, hearty goodness is ready for the ladle and ready for sharing.

Chef Michael’s Kitchen

© Chef Michael Smith

Variation

Freestyle Twist: Any number of dried herbs will bring a flavor twist to your hearty soup. Thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon or oregano- we all have our favorite. And feel free to toss in some chopped green onion or freshly chopped parsley for a little extra color and taste.