We never make ours the same way each time ummmm. Agree with you there are so many recipes. In general we use chicken stock, a thickener like potato, diced up chicken and seasoning. Mushrooms are also used if available.
A bit like McMouse, mine never tastes the same each time. But one of my fave ways is shredding cabbages, carrots, leeks, in fact any veg I have at hand, boiling it in the chicken stock and adding flavouring as I go - i.e. herbs/seasonings
PS Here's a cheats one: a bag of mixed veg, some cooked chicken, a tin of leek & potato soup and a tin of chicken condensed soup - mix it all together with 400mls of milk & seasoning - it was thick, wholesome & delish!
Mine is never the same either - I generally make it on a monday if we have diced chicken from the day befores roast. Chicken stock,diced potato,carrot and onion, when cooked through simmer slowly and add chicken and sometimes handful of peas. Turn heat off and leave for few hours to let flavours develop, then re-heat when needed. If everybody is really hungry I often add dumplings.In fact its really a chicken and vegetable soup lol.
Chicken and sweetcorn chowder:
Sweat a small/medium chopped onion in butter.
Add a short pound of diced potato. Soften.
Add a serving spoon of flour to absorb fat
Add 2 pints of (preferably) home made chicken stock. Season.
Bring to boil and simmer until pots are very soft (25/30 mins).
Add half a tin (size to suit your taste) of nice crisp good quality Sweetcorn niblets.
Squash with a masher then blitz or blend.
Add as much diced/shredded chicken as you want and the other half tin of sweetcorn. Adjust seasoning.
Add milk or cream if desired to achieve consistency you like.
Heat through without boiling.
Should give 4/5 good helpings.
I strip the meat of the chicken then boil the carcass for the stock. Soak a handfull of lentils in boiling water> I put a knob butter and a little chopped bacon in the pan with some dried Italian herbs and fry gently. After about 5 minutes I add chopped leeks, half an onion a couple of chopped carrots and let that "sweat" for about 10 minutes. I then add lots of diced potatoes. Drain and add the lentil salt and pepper and then pour in the strained chicken stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until tender. Sometimes I blitz it and add a swirl of cream and other times I leave it "chunky"
I chopped 1 small onion, garlic, leek, carrots and potatoes. Simmered in chicken stock until tender. Added some of the shredded chicken and then blended half of it. Then I added some milk (it was a bit thick) and cream and seasoned. I have left over chicken to add before it's served. It tastes very nice.
I just use what evers left from the whole roast chicken, stripping as much as I can from the bones. Dont think it matters what you use, but yours sounds lovely ummmm.
Those Knorr stock pots make an acceptable alternative to fresh stock or to make up the quantity if you are a bit short but be careful about adding salt until you have tasted your soup as they can be salty. They are handy to have by for when you have no carcasses lying around.
Good soup stock is the best reason for having a turkey at christmas IMO.