Leftover Roast Chicken Soup is one of my favorite soups because it is so tasty and so easy to make. I can enjoy this easy chicken soup within 30 minutes. And to save you more time, use leftover rotisserie chicken meat! Great for a weeknight meal!
On medium heat, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven/stockpot, add garlic and onion and sauté for about 1 minute.
2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 cup Onion, 2 cloves Garlic
Add carrots, celery, and jalapeños, and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
2 cups Carrots, 1 stalk Celery, 1 fresh Jalapeño
Add the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, and spices. Stir and scrape off the browned bits at the bottom of the pot as this adds a delicious flavor.
4 cups Chicken Stock, 15 oz Canned Tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, 1 teaspoon Chili Powder, 1 teaspoon Coriander
Add the shredded leftover roast chicken (or leftover rotisserie chicken) to the pot. Simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add more spices if needed. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
4 oz Chicken, ½ cup Cilantro
Notes
This recipe also works great with store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Jalapeño is optional. However, if you like it spicy, start with one jalapeño, then add more. You're my hero if you can handle more than three!
Note with jalapeños, be careful when chopping these as they can leave a burning sensation on your skin. So don't rub your eyes! Ouch!!
If you don't have kitchen gloves to use when handling jalapeño peppers, get a piece of Saran wrap and use them to keep your hands from touching the peppers. I like to remove the seeds and chop the peppers for the soup.
You can use fresh tomatoes, especially fresh from the garden will have a more robust flavor.
The canned tomatoes are quicker and will save you some prep time.
Top with tortilla chips, sliced avocados, sour cream, or shredded cheese.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the stock and rotisserie chicken and the spices used, you may or may not need to add salt and pepper. Enjoy!