Leftover Love: Chicken
Leftover roast chicken adds heft to simple grain and vegetable salads, and the remnants make a flavorful soup stock so readily that you may end up roasting chicken for the leftovers alone!
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CHICKEN NOODLE & ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP (Serves 4 to 6)
Place broken-up carcass of 1 roasted chicken in a stockpot with 2 carrots, 1 large onion and 2 celery stalks (all roughly chopped), 2 bay leaves, a few peppercorns and several sprigs of parsley. Cover with 6 to 8 cups water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, skimming foam off the top periodically. Strain slowly through a fine-meshed sieve, reserving stock. In a heavy pot, cook 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 parsnips and 1 celery root bulb (all diced) with 2 tsp fresh thyme, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1/2 tsp sea salt in 2 tbsp olive oil on medium heat until golden. Add stock and 1 to 1 1/3 cups shredded roast chicken and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Add 8 oz cooked egg noodles just before serving.
Bonus: Parsnips pack folate and vitamin C, carrots are rich in beta-carotene, and celery root has healthy levels of both potassium and vitamin K.
ROASTED CHICKEN PANZANELLA (Serves 4)
Tear an 8-oz whole-grain sourdough bread into rough 1-inch pieces; toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp sea salt and bake in a 350°F oven until lightly golden, about 10 to 15 minutes, then let cool slightly. In a bowl, whisk together 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 minced shallot, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, sea salt and ground black pepper to taste. In a separate bowl, combine toasted bread, 1 1/3 cups roasted chicken (torn into bite-size pieces), 2/3 cup toasted walnuts, 1/4 cup dried tart cherries and 1/2 cup minced celery. Add vinaigrette and toss gently.
Bonus: This Italian bread salad is an excellent source of fiber, thanks to the whole-grain sourdough, plus you’ll be getting a helping of omega-3s from the walnuts.