1-2Roasted chicken or turkey carcasses, picked over (home-roasted or store-bought or both)
Organic chicken broth
For Soup
Homemade chicken broth (see recipe above)
Remaining meat from bones
1largeOnion, chopped
1large handfulCarrots, chopped
1large handfulCelery, chopped
1bunchRainbow chard leaves, rinsed and chopped (no stalks)
1/2bunchParsley leaves, chopped (no stems)
1small bagFrozen petite peas
Instructions
For Broth
Strip remaining meat from bones and refrigerate.
Break apart carcasses and place them in a large soup pot. Add chopped veggies and herbs. Fill the pot with water or organic chicken broth until the ingredients are just covered. Add a hefty shake of both salt and pepper.
Bring mixture to a boil and simmer uncovered for 2–3 hours. Your home will smell cozy and soothing.
Turn off the broth, move the pot off the heat, and allow it to cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, put a colander over a large bowl and pour the broth through. Then pour the broth through a strainer into a storage container. Line the strainer with a layer of cheesecloth if you have some handy. Refrigerate broth overnight. A layer of fat will accumulate. Skim it off with a spatula and discard.
For Soup
Put your soup pot back on the stove. Add your homemade broth plus one quart of organic chicken broth. Heat to boiling and add onion, carrots and celery.
Simmer veggies until barely cooked. Do not overcook because you will be reheating your soup later.
Add rainbow chard leaves, parsley leaves, and frozen petite peas. Simmer soup for a few minutes until peas are cooked. Again, do not overcook.
Add chopped, cooked chicken or turkey meat. I often use the leftover meat or purchase a new roasted chicken and chop up about half of the meat. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. Do not over-salt your soup.
When serving, add cooked brown rice, cooked white rice, cooked egg noodles, or pasta to each bowl. Heat each bowl in the microwave to serve soup piping hot.