Ah…winter soups…

Everything but the kitchen sink, right?

We made an oven-roasted chicken last week. Several meals later, the carcass was all that was left. I pulled the remaining meat chunks from the carcass, placed it in my 6-qt stock pot, covered it mostly with water, and set it to simmer.

Making chicken broth can seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. After an hour or so of simmering, the carcass is finished. I strain the broth through a colander, collecting the rich liquid in a large bowl to pour back in the empty stock pot.

To the broth I add sauteed onions and garlic. And then the kitchen sink. This week I added lentils and short-grain brown rice, one of my thai hot peppers awakened from its frozen slumber, chunks of summer’s butternut squash, and dried tarragon. When the soup was nearly cooked I added mushrooms and the remaining chicken meat. I use my immersion blender to thicken the broth a touch, but still allowing a chunky texture.

I had roasted the chicken with squeezed limes inside, which lent the broth a very mild, but interesting, citrus aroma.

Crusty 5-min-a-day bread completes this treat. Enjoy!