Chicken Soup

Chicken Soup ~ enhanced with flavor from fresh marjoram and left over chicken gravy.

Anyone who was born after World War II, from 1946 to 1964 had one or both parents who suffered through the Great Depression of the 1930's. I am a baby boomer. A child of a parent who lived during the Great Depression. Hence, in our home we often heard the expression: "waste not, want not". That rung true in most of the households of my baby boomer friends. People did not waste anything. This lesson I learned ages ago has carried through with me my whole life and in turn I tried to pass that along to my children. It is with "waste not, want not" coursing through my veins that I continue to turn "left-overs" into another meal. This Chicken Soup is a prime example.

In place of fresh parsley or a bit of rosemary, I diverted a bit and used a different herb in this soup: marjoram. I needed marjoram for my Italian Meatballs with Marjoram this past weekend and what I had left I used in this soup. Fresh marjoram has been described as having a delicate, almost floral smell to it and is often swapped out for the zestier, peppery and lemon fresh herb oregano. I simply adore the subtle flavor this herb imparts in the soup.

Figuring out the approximate cost, I left off the cost of the chicken as it was used in another dinner. And you can't beat the final cost!

• left over rotisserie chicken
• 4-5 cups water
• 1 - 48 oz. box chicken broth
• 1 cup left over gravy
• 1 lb. carrots - sliced
• 4 stalks celery - sliced
• 1 medium sized onion - diced small
• 2 tbsp. dried parsley
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• pinch poultry seasoning
• 4 stems of marjoram - leaves removed and chopped fine (about a tablespoon)

1. Remove the any remaining skin from your rotisserie chicken and place it in a stock pot. Add in the box of broth and enough water to almost cover the chicken.
2. Add some salt and simmer for about an hour or longer. Remove the carcass and drain in a colander over another pot. Let it cool down.
3. Pull off all the good meat from the chickens carcass and dice up.
4. Slice your carrots and celery. I used a blade in my food processor to make it quick work.
5. Dice your onion. Again I used my food processor and pulsed it until small.
6. Add the vegetables to the broth along with the cooked chicken and the gravy. Mix well.
7. Then add in the parsley, salt and black pepper along with the poultry seasoning and the marjoram. Mix well.
8. Allow this to cook and simmer for about 2 hours with your lid tilted to let some steam escape.
9. Taste and adjust for more seasonings. Serve.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Serves: 10-12
Cost: approximately $6.74, serving 10 for 67¢ or 12 for 56¢ each

Anytime you have left over poultry, think soup! For me Chicken Soup is total comfort food and what I enjoy most when the cooler weather starts. I have lots of wonderful soup recipes here on the blog for you to check out. And remember too that soup also freezes well.

Bright blue fall skies, crisp air and it's rather chilly today which means I'll be having another bowl of this delicious Chicken Soup.

TO PIN (Longer)