Chicken soup...

[Meg888]

I've boiled the carcass of the roast chicken I made yesterday. I was wanting to make a soup, but I've not really done one like this before. I've always made my soups using lentils or pearl barley (neither of which I want to use with this). Does anyone have a recipe for it, or any other ideas what to do with it? Thanks

[ummmm]

And if you want to blend it...blend it before you add the cooked chicken back.

[Meg888]

Sounds lovely. Could I replace the celery or omit it though - I hate the stuff! I have a courgette??!!

[Mosaic]

Free your soup instinct and make any variety of ingredients you have to hand. personally I believe celery acts like a flavouring herb...an onion, two carrots and a bit of celery - especially the frilly leaves - sweat down in a pan with olive oil, then add stoc or water, maybe a spud or a handful of pasta, season to taste and bubble till tender.
Like redhelen says, don't put meaty bits into the blender, it's a gack texture.

[gingejbee]

I'm with mosaic on this - I never use a recipe for soup. I recently made a chicken-based soup that had about fifteen different vegetables in it (many of them left-overs) including sweetcorn, green beans, fennel, celeriac and leeks - it was very good (even if I say so, myself). I rarely blend soup - we prefer it "rustic".

[rowanwitch]

cut up a couple of large leeks into thin slices, chop a medium onion and two cloves of garlic and fry in a little mild olive oil until tender add the stock from your chicken (if you chill it you can remove most of the fat as it sets on the top) and any little bits of meat you can rescue from the carcass. then add some cold mashed potatoes about two normal portions worth salt and pepper and mix well cook for an extra 10 minutes on a low heat stir in a little creme fraiche and when in the bowls sprinkle withsome chopped chives

[vodkancoke]

We make a soup called pastina or brodo. We were always given it as children if we were sick and it cures everything! It's one of those Italian soups that can grow a leg back on! I always have it when it's a cold night as it is so quick to make.

All you do is put the stock you have made on to boil, add chopped carrots, we use celery but you can omit it, sliced onions, and a couple of chopped fresh tomatoes. Add a chicken stock cube and leave it to boil until the veg is tender. About 15 mins before you want to serve it, add tiny pasta shapes or break up some spaghetti and cook that in the stock. Add some fresh parsley if you want. Once that is cooked, serve it with grated parmesan on the top.