Kitchen comfort / About 30 minutes with prepared stock
The whole-chicken soup pot.
A roasted chicken does two good jobs: tender meat for your bowl, and bones for a flavorful pot. Carrots, celery, greens and a little lemon make it feel like home.
Pull the cooked chicken meat from the bones and cut it into bite-size pieces. Keep it covered and cold until needed.
Warm the olive oil in a pot. Add the onion, then the carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the vegetables soften.
Stir in the herbs and stock. Bring to a simmer.
Add the cooked chicken and simmer for about 10 minutes, until hot throughout. Reheated leftovers should reach 165°F. Taste and season.
For another day, save the bones for stock using a separate tested stock recipe.
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within two hours and use within three days, or freeze.
A little more than the ingredients
Why it belongs in the house.
Chicken brings protein; carrots and celery bring vegetables to the bowl. Stock gives you warmth and fluid. It is a nourishing meal to reach for when you want something simple and comforting.
A whole roast chicken makes the cooking easier and gives yesterday’s good dinner another purpose. Soup can be comforting during an illness, but this pot is food, not a promised cure.
