Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Courtesy of the worst allergy attack I think Albuquerque has ever experienced, my diet the past week has consisted mainly of soup and frozen yoghurt, the only things that feel good on my very sore throat. I'll eat canned soup if I'm desperate or too sick to cook, but I much prefer good homemade soup. It tastes better, is better for me, and I can control the ingredients that go into it and guarantee it stays gluten free for the little ones.

Over the weekend I made a giant pot of chicken soup, and the minute we finished it, I started some more! For a long time I couldn't really figure out how to make good soup without buying canned chicken broth. I tried boiling chicken breasts, but all I got was some lame thin chicken-flavored water, not that delicious rich fatty broth that is so necessary to good soup. Then I learned that I needed to boil chicken bones to make good broth, so I attempted that and it was better, but something still wasn't right. Finally I hit upon the happy combination of roasting my chicken in the oven and then boiling it, bones and all, to make a delicious broth that tasted just right. 

This roasted chicken recipe is one of my favorite easy yet delicious dinners to make, and I discovered that if I make a little extra, I can use the leftovers to make chicken soup for another day. It's very easy if you count the amount of work you actually have to do - it just takes a little time for all the roasting and boiling and cooking.

Step 1 - Roast the chicken

You can use a whole chicken, but I prefer to buy chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in (this is the essential point!), usually 2 pieces per person. Arrange the pieces in a large glass baking dish and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. I like to season mine with an herb blend called "Herbs de Provence." I already happened to have a jar of this blend, which I'm sure you can buy in stores, but here is a recipe for mixing your own. Mine does NOT include fennel, however, as I don't like the texture of the fennel seeds. But you can use other seasonings if you prefer. Next, take a stick of butter and cut into pieces, then place butter pieces on top of the chicken pieces. I usually use a whole stick for a large pan of chicken, but reduce if you have fewer chicken pieces (approx. 1 Tablespoon per piece of chicken). 

Roast chicken, uncovered, in 375 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours, until the chicken is nicely browned and the skin is crispy. You might want to check it at an hour and rotate the pan, since everyone's oven cooks a little differently. Slide a knife in next to the bone and see if meat pulls away easily to determine if it's sufficiently cooked. The meat under the skin should be very tender.

Served your family this delicious chicken, with sweet potatoes and a salad, or mixed vegetables and rice, or whatever sides you prefer - but don't forget to save a few extra pieces of chicken AND the drippings from the pan for your soup! You can even save the empty bones for boiling.

*If you're pressed for time, a good shortcut is to buy a whole rotisserie chicken from the store, eat that for dinner, and then save the carcass with a little meat still on it. You can boil the entire carcass to make soup.

Step 2 - Boil the chicken

Take the reserved chicken and pan drippings, which include the melted butter and chicken fat, and put it all into a large stock pot. Fill with water about 3/4 of the way. Now add the vegetables - celery, carrot, and onion pieces. Note that these are not the vegetables that you will be eating as part of your soup - they are simply to add flavor to the broth as it cooks, so you can just include a couple of large chunks of each. This is a great place to use leftover celery tops, carrot ends, etc. Throw in a little salt and pepper and bring the pot to a boil. Once it is boiling, turn it down very low and simmer for a long time - even overnight.

Step 3 - Make the soup

Once the stock has simmered for a long time, turn the stove off and let it cool. Once cooled, use a strainer to strain all the broth into a large bowl or another pot. If you used chicken pieces, strip all the meat off the bones (I admit this is my LEAST favorite part about making chicken soup!) and set it aside. Throw away the bones and mushy vegetable tops, rinse out your pot, and pour your broth back into it. Add in the chicken pieces. Cut up carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, and/or any other vegetables you may desire into bite sized pieces and throw them in the pot too. If you are pressed for time you can just pour in a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium-low until vegetables are tender - only about an hour or so, since the meat and broth are already cooked.

*For chicken noodle soup, omit potatoes and wait until the vegetables are almost done, then throw in a package of noodles and cook until they are soft. If you are using gluten free noodles, be careful not to overcook, as they can get mushy very fast.

** If you want to make this soup ahead of time and freeze it, don't add either potatoes or noodles - they do not freeze well. Add the other vegetables and cook, then cool and pour into gallon ziploc bags and freeze. When you're ready it eat it, pull it out of the freezer, dump into the pot, add the potatoes or noodles, and cook until done.