cook like james

I always have homemade chicken stock on hand. It’s easy to make with leftover roasted chicken. Just throw the roasted chicken into a pot with an onion, carrot, bay leaf, cover it with 4-6 quarts of water, and simmer for a couple of hours. Strain broth with fine mesh strainer and discard solids. Before using, defat stock. After stock has been refrigerated, the fat hardens on the surface and is very easy to remove with a spoon – then store in freezer safe containers.

Hearty Chicken Soup

3 tablespoon unsalted butter 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped 

3 celery ribs, sliced thin 

4 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds 

1 parsnip, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme  

3 strips of lemon peel

 Salt and pepper  

8-10 cups low-sodium chicken broth (preferably homemade)

1 rotisserie chicken  , skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3-4 cups) 

¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

2-3 tablespoons minced fresh dill

1. Melt butter and olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion, celery, carrots, parsnips, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in broth and lemon peel and simmer, covered, until vegetables are softened, 10 to 15 minutes.  

2. Add chicken, parsley, and dill and cook until heated through.  Season with salt and pepper.