How to Make Chicken Soup From Leftover Chicken

Leftover chicken has long been used in soup for economy and convenience.

Leftover chicken works well in soups because there is little risk of overcooking. Chicken, like other meats, gets tender when cooked in a moist-heat environment, as a result of the connective tissue dissolving and the muscle fibers uncoiling -- just like a braised roast. With the exception of breaded, you can use any type of leftover chicken in soup, both cream-based and stock-based. Wait until the end of cooking to add salt to the soup, to accommodate for any saltiness in the chicken.

Things You'll Need

• Stock
• 1 lb. cooked chicken, bones removed
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup diced white onions
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 qt. cold chicken stock
• Whisk
• 3 cups diced vegetables
• Fresh herbs to taste
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Cream:
• 1 lb. cooked chicken, boned removed
• Cheesecloth
• 3 black peppercorns
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 clove
• 5 parsley stems
• Butcher twine
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 qt. cold whole milk
• Whisk
• 3 cups diced vegetables
• 2 tbsp. cream
• Fresh herbs to taste
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Stock-based

1. Dice the chicken or shred it and set it aside.

2. Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of diced white onions, 1/2 cup of diced celery and 1/2 cup of diced carrots to the stockpot. In cooking, mirepoix refers to a standard aromatic vegetable mix consisting of 50 percent onions, 25 percent celery and 25 percent carrots.

3. Saute the mirepoix until softened, approximately 10 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. of unsalted butter and 1 tbsp. of unbleached all-purpose flour to the stock pot.

4. Stir the mirepoix and roux until incorporated. Cook the roux until it turns blonde, approximately 5 minutes.

5. Pour 1 qt. of cold chicken stock in the stockpot and adjust the heat to high. Whisk the stock to incorporate the roux.

6. Bring the stock to a boil, approximately 5 minutes, and reduce the heat to medium-high. Add 3 cups of diced vegetables to the soup.

7. Cook the soup until the vegetables are cooked through, approximately 20 minutes for cruciferous vegetables and 35 minutes for starchy vegetables. Add any fresh herbs to the soup and season it to taste with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

8. Cook the soup until the chicken heats through, approximately 15 minutes.

Cream-based

1. Cut a 6-inch square of cheesecloth and place it on the work surface. Place 3 black peppercorns, 1 clove of garlic, 1 clove and 5 parsley stems in the center of the cheesecloth.

2. Bring the corners of the cheesecloth together and tie them with butcher twine. A combination of aromatic herbs and spices tied together in cheesecloth is known as a sachet d'epices. Set the sachet d'epices aside.

3. Melt 1 tbsp. of unsalted butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. of unbleached all-purpose flour to the stockpot. Whisk the butter and flour together. Cook the roux until it turns blonde, approximately 5 minutes. Add 1 qt. of cold milk to the stockpot.

4. Whisk the milk to incorporate the roux. Adjust the heat to high and bring the milk to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and place the sachet d'epices in the stockpot. Add 3 cups of diced vegetables to the stockpot.

5. Simmer the soup until the vegetables cook through. Place the chicken in the stockpot. Cook the soup for 15 minutes and remove the sachet d'epices. Pour 2 tbsp. of cream in the soup. Stir the soup to incorporate the cream. Add any fresh herbs to the soup and season it to taste with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

Tips & Warnings

• Lawries Seasoned Salt works best.

• Make sure you get all the bones out of the broth.

References

• "The Professional Chef 8th edition"; The Culinary Institute of America; 2006