Using a whole chicken for soup

[Dandelionkid]

Curious if others regularly do this and how. I usually roast my 6lb bird and then make bone broth. Only gives us one soup meal. Can I make a larger pot of soup if I boil the whole bird (question) I want to freeze some soup for sicknesses to come.

[Mrshawwk]

I can't bring myself to throw away bones that haven't been boiled to death for broth! I love nothing more than to cook a whole chicken in the crock pot or on the stove. Eat some meat for dinner, simmer the bones all night, and have soup for dinner the next day.

I also make the broth then freeze it for quick soups or rice. I also never make rice anymore unless I have broth to cook it in.

[serenbat]

I always boil my bird for soup/stock-not roast it. I boil the fresh bird with the other items that I use for stock and cook at a good simmer for 2 to 3 hours, depending (until the meat falls from the bones) - I remove the bird, strip the meat and throw back in the skin and bones, saving the meat for the soup and continue on the cooking of the broth.

[Ldavis24]

I roast a chicken for this purpose probably 3 times a month and then simmer NEVER boil the bones for stock. I let them simmer for nearly 4 or 5 hours. I don't know if this has an effect either but I also cover the carcass in water in the pot and throw it in the fridge overnight. It seems to make it richer or it is just my imagination! Either way I get enough for a weeks worth of soup for my DH and I eating it usually every day for lunch!

[gmvh]

I will periodically cook a whole chicken into soup but I do cut up the chicken first to expose more pieces of bone directly to the liquid. I think that's a good thing to do - I always get broth that's very gelatinous and tasty.

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by serenbat

I always boil my bird for soup/stock-not roast it. I boil the fresh bird with the other items that I use for stock and cook at a good simmer for 2 to 3 hours, depending (until the meat falls from the bones) - I remove the bird, strip the meat and throw back in the skin and bones, saving the meat for the soup and continue on the cooking of the broth.

This is what I'm doing right now, in a large crock pot.

I also only make rice when we wave stock, now.

[serenbat]

I also use ONLY a stewing chicken for this- that is an OLDER bird, I buy them specially for this, I would not use a young/new chicken.

[manchestermafia]

I use a pkg. of legs & wings or 2-3 lbs. chicken cut up, 1 med. carrot, 1 stalk celery including leaves, 4 peppercorns, 1 bayleaf, a few sprigs of parsley or a sprinkle of dry, salt to taste, 1 sm. onion.

Put chicken in stewpot with enough water to just cover. Bring to boil and skim foam, etc. from top. Put in remaining ingredients. Lower heat, cover & simmer 2-3 hours.

Remove chicken from broth & strain into containers. It's easier to remove the fat once it is cooled. Enjoy!

[Penny4Them]

Sounds great. I happen to have a carcass from a roast chicken last night. Do I just strip the rest of meat and throw entire carcass in pot and cover with water and simmer for a few hours to make broth? Or should I throw some spices and veggies in. This is my first time, so I'd really appreciate any tips.

[sunnysandiegan]

Originally Posted by Penny4Them

Sounds great. I happen to have a carcass from a roast chicken last night. Do I just strip the rest of meat and throw entire carcass in pot and cover with water and simmer for a few hours to make broth? Or should I throw some spices and veggies in. This is my first time, so I'd really appreciate any tips.

If you want to make bone broth (super nutritious), then you simmer the carcass for longer than a few hours and add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice (needs an acid to leach out the bone marrow). Do a search in this forum for lots of recipes/ways of doing this.

Once you have the broth made, then you can use it for cooking rice or other dishes in place of water. You can also use it as a soup base. Mmmmm...