This Week’s Recipe: Throw Together Chicken Soup

Inspiration: Recently, a cold snap hit where we live, and in response, I decided to make some soup. However, I’ve made a lot of tomato soup this winter, so I decided to switch things up a bit and make chicken soup instead. 

First, I roasted a whole chicken. Next, after the bird finished cooking, I separated the meat from the bones and then made soup stock (setting the meat aside for later). Finally, after the stock finished cooking and I strained the spices, veggies, and such from the liquid (tossing the solid bits into the compost bin), I added frozen peas, a cup of frozen corn, a cup of fresh carrots, a cup of minced celery, a couple of cups of chopped up chicken, salt, pepper, turmeric, chili flakes, and rosemary (to taste) to the pot of stock. Then let the whole thing simmer until the carrots soften up!

Now, if you don’t have time or don’t want to take eight hours making soup (which sounds way more intense than it is, as there are hours of hands-off time whilst things simmer or bake away), you can achieve a similar effect by using a rotisserie chicken and store-bought soup stock. However, due to my stupid, stupid allergies, I didn’t want an end product that would invoke my body’s uncomfortable reaction to prohibited foods — hence the longer process.

Slight Controversial Issue: As I made a large batch intended to span several lunches, I omitted the noodles. Now, hear me out before you start yelling. Noodles absorb the liquid as they sit, making the soup either overly thick or the texture off as they become mushy. Also, because I intended to eat toasty-cheese sandwiches dipped in the soup’s broth, I figured the bread more than made up for the missing noodle carbs.

Christie: I can see Miss Marple making a version of this staple with whatever leftovers she had lying around in the fridge during the colder months in St. Mary Mead!