Chicken Carcass Soup is a great way to stretch your leftovers from a roast chicken dinner. This thrifty recipe uses the carcass and any leftover meat to create an incredibly flavorful chicken soup.
And if you like this, why not try a Greek take on this classic recipe, Avgolemono Chicken Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup)?
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Picture this. You made a roast chicken – or a Rotisserie chicken – dinner. Now all that remains is the carcass, picked clean but for a few bits of meat.
I know it’s not a pretty picture but there’s a way to use all of this up to make Chicken Carcass Soup.
Not only is it a great way to make sure nothing goes to waste it will also be one of the tastiest chicken soup recipes EVER!
Making chicken soup from carcass is a two step process. First you make the chicken broth using the bones and a handful of vegetables.
Then you use this as the base of your chicken soup, adding vegetables, noodles or anything you like. The depth of flavor will knock your socks off!
I feel a warm glow whenever I make this soup and I know you will too.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN CARCASS SOUP
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
PREPARE THE CHICKEN STOCK
Place your carcass (more than one if you have made the roast poussin recipe) in a large pot or in your slow cooker. Add celery, carrots, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and apple cider vinegar. Top with water, adding enough (8-10 cups) so that it almost covers your ingredients.
Simmer over low heat on the stove for up to 2 hours or in the slow cooker on a low setting overnight. I prefer to use the slow cooker as it is more energy efficient.
Strain the contents of your pot or crockpot using a large colander. Reserve the stock and carrots. Pick any meat off the carcass as soon as it is cool enough to handle. Chop the carrots to use in the soup.
MAKE THE CHICKEN SOUP
Sweat chopped onion, celery, carrots and potato in a large pot over low heat in a little olive oil.
Add the chicken broth (you can double strain it if you like), all the meat you picked from the carcass, butternut squash and chickpeas. Stir in the lemon juice, soy sauce and a couple dashes of Tabasco, bring to a rolling simmer then lower the heat and simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
Add pasta and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until it is cooked through. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve.
What to serve with chicken carcass soup?
This from-scratch chicken soup is a meal unto itself. It simply needs some crusty bread, cheese scones, or a few croutons to round it off.
STORING AND FREEZING CHICKEN CARCASS SOUP
The soup can be kept in the fridge for up to three days. You will probably need to add a little water when reheating as the pasta will soak up a lot of the broth.
This soup is suitable for freezing without the pasta. So if you want to freeze it, leave out the pasta and add it in when reheating. It will keep for up to three months in the freezer. You can also freeze the broth on its own for later use if you like.
RECIPE TIPS
- You can store any chicken carcasses in the freezer until you are ready to make the soup. The stock will be extra delicious if you use more than one chicken as the base. You can use a turkey carcass in the same way if you like.
- If you don’t have enough leftover chicken then simply add a few chicken tenders in the broth and shred them before adding the pasta.
- To remove fat from the broth, chill it first and then discard the fat that solidifies.
Have you made my Chicken Carcass Soup recipe? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Chicken Carcass Soup
Ingredients
For Chicken Stock
- 1 large chicken carcass (or two small carcasses)
- 8 cups (2 lt) water or as needed
- 2 large carrots roughly chopped
- 2 celery ribs roughly chopped
- 1 large onion halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
For Chicken Soup
- 1 large onion , finely diced
- 2 celery ribs finely diced
- 2 carrots (use the ones from the broth), diced
- 2 large potatoes , peeled and cubed
- 1 cup (200g) butternut squash , peeled and cubed
- 14 oz (400g) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice , or to taste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 dashes Tabasco
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (120g) small pasta or noodles
- 3 tbsp flat leaf parsley , finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
PREPARE THE BROTH
- Place your carcass (more than one if you like!) in a large pot or in your slow cooker. Add celery, carrots, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and apple cider vinegar. Top with water, adding enough so that it almost covers your ingredients.
- Simmer over low heat on the stove for up to 2 hours or in the slow cooker on a low setting overnight. I prefer to use the slow cooker as it is more energy efficient.
- Strain the contents of your pot or crockpot using a large colander. Reserve the stock and carrots. Pick any meat off the carcass as soon as it is cool enough to handle. Chop the carrots to use in the soup.
MAKE THE CHICKEN SOUP
- Sweat chopped onion, celery, carrots and potato in a large pot over low heat in a little olive oil.
- Add the chicken broth (you can double strain it if you like), all the meat you picked from the carcass, butternut squash and chickpeas. If there’s not much meat you can add a few raw chicken tenders in now and shred them before adding the pasta.
- Add lemon juice, soy sauce and a couple dashes of Tabasco, bring to a rolling simmer then lower the heat and simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
- Add pasta and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until it is cooked through. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve.
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