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    Home » Recipes » Soups, Salads and Sides » Leftover Chicken Soup

    Published: Aug 5, 2022 · Modified: Jan 26, 2023 by Marianne Rogerson · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Leftover Chicken Soup

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    This warming and soothing leftover chicken soup is a great way to use up your leftover roast chicken for a hearty, healthy meal. It is also quick and easy to make, making it a real winner.

    leftover chicken soup in a bowl

    We eat a lot of roast chicken in our house and so I am often looking for ways to use up leftover roasted chicken.

    We often make a leftover chicken curry, leftover chicken chilli, and leftover chicken pasta bake. But this is another of my favourite ways - leftover roast chicken soup.

    It's really quick and easy to make and is so warming and comforting.

    Click here for more Leftover Chicken recipes.

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Making chicken soup from a carcass
    • Instructions
    • FAQs and Top Tips
    • Love leftovers? Give these recipes a try!
    • Leftover Chicken Soup

    Why you will love this recipe

    • It not only uses up your leftover chicken but is a great way to use up any vegetables in your fridge.
    • It's a very flexible recipe - you can use different vegetables or herbs, throw in some pasta, cannellini beans or rice - whatever you like!
    • It is full of goodness and perfect for cold days or for when you are feeling under the weather.

    Ingredients

    Full ingredients with recipe instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    a plate of leftover roast chicken with vegetables

    This easy chicken soup uses the following ingredients. Note that these ingredients are very flexible, so feel free to use up any vegetables from your fridge, use herbs from your garden and/or add in some pasta, cannellini beans or rice to the soup.

    • Olive oil
    • Garlic
    • Onion
    • Carrots
    • Cellery
    • Herbs - I use thyme and parsley
    • Chicken stock - I like to either use a pre-prepared chicken bone broth or make up a homemade chicken stock first with the chicken carcass (see below). You can of course use a shop-bought stock but remember: the better the stock, the better the flavour your soup will be.
    • Leftover Roast Chicken - remove the leftover meat from the bones, remove any skin and chop the meat into small pieces.

    Making chicken soup from a carcass

    I am a big believer in using the chicken carcass to make a homemade broth for soup (or any other dishes that call for stock). Not only is it delicious, it is cost effective and good for you.

    You can read my full article about making a chicken bone broth here.

    A pot of mix ingredients for leftover chicken soup

    If you want to use the chicken bones for soup, simply toss the carcass in a large saucepan with an onion, carrot, a few fresh herbs, bay leaf and a sprinkling of black pepper.

    This is all flexible and you can use whatever vegetables you have, but do read the article highlighted above first.

    Fill the pan with water, bring to the boil and then let it simmer for at least an hour (longer if you can). Then strain it and it is ready to use in your soup.

    Instructions

    Step 1: Saute the vegetables and herbs in the oil over a medium heat until soft.

    saute vegetables and herbs in oil
    chicken stock in a pot

    Step 2: Add the stock, bring to the boil and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes.

    Step 3: Stir through the leftover chicken.

    boiling chicken stock

    Step 4: Remove ⅔ of the soup and transfer to a large bowl. Use a stick blender to blend this portion of the soup. (You can also use a normal blender to do this if you don't have a stick blender).

    a bowl of chicken soup with blender

    Step 5: Return the blended soup to the pan. Heat through for 5-10 minutes until piping hot.

    a bowl of chicken soup on a wooden table

    Note - you can choose to blend all the soup, or none of the soup, based on your preference. I prefer the depth of flavour that blending some of the soup gives, but like to retain the varied texture of the non-blended portion too. Personal preference!

    FAQs and Top Tips

    How long does cooked chicken last in the fridge?

    It is safe to keep cooked chicken in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. After cooking, allow it to cool and refrigerate within two hours. For best results, store in an airtight container or ziploc bag or wrap tightly with plastic wrap.

    Can you freeze leftover chicken soup?

    Yes you can. Allow it to cool then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Love leftovers? Give these recipes a try!

    • Leftover Lamb Biryani
      Leftover Lamb Biryani
    • Leftover Turkey Chili.
      Leftover Turkey Chili
    • Leftover Lamb Ragu
      Leftover Lamb Ragu
    • Leftover Turkey Curry.
      Leftover Turkey Curry

    Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!

    Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @mamalovestocookblog and follow along on Pinterest and Facebook! Enjoy!!! 

    Leftover chicken soup in a bowl

    Leftover Chicken Soup

    This warming and soothing leftover chicken soup is a great way to use up your leftover roast chicken for a hearty, healthy meal.
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: International
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 240kcal
    Author: Marianne Rogerson

    Equipment

    • Stick Blender

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 onion finely chopped
    • 2 carrots peeled and finely chopped
    • 1 stick celery finely chopped
    • 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves only
    • 1 small handful parsley leaves chopped
    • 1.5 litres chicken stock
    • 300 g leftover roast chicken roughly chopped

    Instructions

    • Heat olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat.
    • Add the vegetables and herbs and cook for around 10 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
    • Add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for around 15 minutes.
    • Add the roast chicken to the pan and stir to combine.
    • Remove ⅔ of the soup from the saucepan and transfer to a large bowl. Use a stick blender to blend this portion of the soup. (You can also use a standard blender for this)
    • Return the blended soup to the saucepan. Heat through for 5-10 minutes until piping hot.
    • Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

    Notes

    Depending on your preference, you can choose to blend all the soup for a smoother soup, or none of the soup (if you prefer a more broth-style soup).
    Feel free to add any vegetables from your fridge that need using up. Also feel free to add in any pasta, noodles, cannellini beans, rice etc to bulk it out.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 641mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5227IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @mamalovestocookblog or tag #mamalovestocook!
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