Recently I’ve noticed the easy grab and go grocery rotisserie chickens have shrunk in size. What used to be a chicken is now quail size and can barely feed a family for $7. That’s why I’ve resorted to only buying rotisserie chickens for $4.99 at Costco. In fact, I look forward to the easy dinners the days I go to Costco. Kristen and I have accumulated numerous recipes that start from the these perfectly sized, priced and prepared birds.
A great way to make your $4.99 go further is to take the remaining bones from the rotisserie chicken and make chicken broth or stock. You can feed your family the meat and then use whatever is left of the meat and bones to make a pot of soup. You could also save the stock for additional recipes down the road. More than one meal from one chicken? Now that’s my kind of deal!
So the next question to answer is what’s the difference between broth and stock? There’s a lot of disagreement about this. My take on it is that stocks and broths are essentially both made by slowly cooking meat and/or vegetables. Some say stock has to include simmered bones. Essentially broth is flavored stock that is usually seasoned with additional things like salt, pepper, bouillon, wine, etc. Stock has a simpler taste that is the base for many additional recipe and it’s in those recipes that you control the salt. The nice thing about using a rotisserie chicken is that it’s already cooked so the simmering time is less.
From my recipe you can make either stock or soup. You can stop after step 2 and keep the stock or you can continue on and make a delicious pot of chicken soup out of the chicken broth. I recommend using bouillon, but read the package. A lot of them contain MSG or additional ingredients that you might not want. I found an organic, gluten-free, non-meat version that suited me. But, if you can’t find something that suits you, just plain salt can pump your stock up to a broth.
Traditionally you should have equal parts carrots, celery and onion (the “holy trinity”). However, my family loves carrots so I add an extra two. It’s just enough, but doesn’t make the broth too sweet.
1 rotisserie chicken carcass
water
2-4 carrots, cut in 1 inch segments
2 stalks celery, cut in 1 inch segments
1 small onion, cut in 8 wedges
1 bay leaf
1 chicken bouillon cube or salt to taste
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
fresh ground pepper
1) Place chicken carcass in pot and cover it with cold water. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and bay leaf, cook for another 20-25 mins or until the carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.
2) Place a colander in a large bowl or another pot. Pour the soup broth through the colander to separate the broth from the vegetables and chicken pieces. At this point you can save the chicken broth for any other recipe. Or continue on to make chicken soup.
3) Separate out inedible chicken parts from vegetables. Add broth, carrots, celery, some of the onion (all would be too much) and any amount of the rotisserie chicken back into pot. Save about one ladle of hot broth in a cup. Dissolve one bouillon cube in the hot broth, then stir it into soup. If you’re opting out of bouillon, then add salt to your taste. Bring to a simmer again. Serve with small pasta noodle or rice. Garnish with fresh parsley and ground pepper.
- 1 rotisserie chicken carcass
- water
- 2-4 carrots, cut in 1 inch segments
- 2 stalks celery, cut in 1 inch segments
- 1 small onion, cut in 8 wedges
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 chicken bouillon cube or salt to taste
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- fresh ground pepper
- Place chicken carcass in pot and cover it with cold water. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and bay leaf, cook for another 20-25 mins or until the carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Place a colander in a large bowl or another pot. Pour the soup broth through the colander to separate the broth from the vegetables and chicken pieces. At this point you can save the chicken broth for any other recipe. Or continue on to make chicken soup.
- Separate out inedible chicken parts from vegetables. Add broth, carrots, celery, some of the onion (all would be too much) and any amount of the rotisserie chicken back into pot. Save about one ladle of hot broth in a cup. Dissolve one bouillon cube in the hot broth, then stir it into soup. If you’re opting out of bouillon, then add salt to your taste. Bring to a simmer again. Serve with small pasta noodle or rice. Garnish with fresh parsley and ground pepper.
