Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Soup for a Soothing Meal
Sneak Peek: Make this Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Soup recipe with leftover cooked chicken, sliced carrots, mushrooms, celery, and onions. Serve with cornbread, dinner rolls, or crackers.
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Are you a fan of Costco’s rotisserie chicken? First, it’s cheap—4.99 for a plump 3-pound chicken (at last check). It’s already cooked and well-seasoned with a combination of spices I have been unable to reproduce.
But if you’re like me, unless you have a big family, you probably end up with leftovers when you buy a rotisserie chicken. This chicken soup recipe with Thanksgiving flavors is one solution to the problem.
Four Reasons Why This Recipe Is a Lifesaver
- Add more veggies if you don’t have much chicken.
- Omit any veggies you don’t have.
- Use leftover mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles as a base for this soup.
- Thicken soup for pot pie filling. Arrange store-bought or homemade pie crust over the top and bake.
Happy Cooks Speak Up
“This was so good! I added 4 large cloves of garlic (minced). I also added some radish while it was simmering so I could have “potatoes” in there. Thank you for sharing!” — KARMEN
Ingredients and Substitutions
- OIL:
- Use vegetable oil like avocado, corn, or canola oil
- Swap butter or margarine for oil
- ONIONS:
- Fresh white or yellow onions, or use frozen chopped onions for tear-free prep
- CELERY:
- Chop fresh stalks, including a few leaves for extra flavor.
- CARROTS:
- Chop fresh stalks, including a few leaves for extra flavor.
- CHICKEN BROTH:
- Homemade with rotisserie carcass is best.
- Bouillon + water works in a pinch.
- PEPPER:
- White pepper adds a magical flavor, especially if serving soup over mashed potatoes.
- CRUSHED RED PEPPER:
- Adjust to taste for spice—use sparingly or more for heat.
- THYME:
- Fresh is best, but dried works fine.
- POULTRY SEASONING:
- Optional but adds great flavor to broth and dressing if you need ideas for later use.
- FLOUR:
- Use all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- Substitute mashed cauliflower–more veggies, fewer carbs
- ROTISSERIE CHICKEN:
- Well-seasoned, but plain turkey or roast chicken works, too.
- If you still have more leftover chicken, try it in my Chicken Tortilla Soup.
- WHIPPING CREAM:
- Adds creaminess without separating.
- Substitute homemade creme fraiche.
- PARSLEY:
- Fresh parsley for flavor and appearance (optional).
- MUSHROOMS:
- Button mushrooms or any kind you have, even canned.
📌Kitchen Secret for Fresh Mushrooms📌
Instead of slicing the mushrooms as seen in the top picture, I now prefer to slice the stems and quarter the caps. Cut each cap into 6 or 8 wedges if the mushrooms are large.
Steps for Making Broth with a Rotisserie Chicken Carcass or Bones Using a Slow Cooker
Bone broth includes everything that’s left. Every bone, piece of skin and gristle, remaining bits of chicken, and gelatin left in the bottom of the chicken carrier is utilized.
Bone broth is a regular stock cooked for a prolonged period to break down the animal bones and connective tissue. Extended cooking causes the gelatin inside the bones to leak into the broth. Notice how your stock gels when it is chilled.
- Remove all chicken meat from bones.
- Place bones and skin (with spices) into a slow cooker.
- Add any leftover fridge veggies (onion, carrots, celery), bay leaf, parsley, or cilantro.
- Add 1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns.
- Cover with water.
- Cook on Low for 12-24 hours.
- Strain and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze.
How To Make a Comforting Soup with Rotisserie Chicken and Vegetables
More Ideas for Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
A single rotisserie chicken is good for at least two meals and a pot of bone broth at our house. The first meal will be sliced chicken straight off the bone. Then, use the remaining chicken meat in gluten-free condensed cream of chicken soup, chicken salad, chicken and dumplings, Easy Rotisserie Chicken Curry, or these Chicken Flautas.
Parting Thoughts: This soup begs to be dipped in. Try cornbread, biscuits, yeast rolls, or crackers. I like adding mashed potatoes or cauliflower to my bowl first, then pouring the soup over the top.
Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.
Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Soup Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (160 g) chopped onions
- 2 (80 g) medium celery sticks, finely chopped
- 4 ounces (113 g) fresh button mushrooms, quartered
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red peppers
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 3 tablespoons (22 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (681 g) chicken broth or bone broth
- 3 (216-300 g) carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 to 1-½ cup (170-255 g) cooked chicken finely diced
- ½ cup (114 g) whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons (40 g) vegetable oil, 1 cup (160 g) chopped onions, and 2 (80 g) medium celery sticks, finely chopped to a large, heavy pot and cook over medium heat until tender.
- Add 4 ounces (113 g) fresh button mushrooms, quartered, and continue to cook until soft.
- Add ¼ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon salt , ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, ⅛ teaspoon crushed red peppers, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, and 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning. Stir until you start to smell the fragrance of the spices.
- Add 3 tablespoons (22 g) all-purpose flour and stir to coat the vegetables evenly.
- Add 3 cups (681 g) chicken broth or bone broth, 3 (216-300 g) carrots, thinly sliced, and 1 to 1-½ cup (170-255 g) cooked chicken, cubed or shredded.
- Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until carrots are tender.
- Stir in ½ cup (114 g) whipping cream.
- Garnish with 1 tablespoon chopped parsley just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.