CRAZY DELICIOUS CREAMY LEFTOVER LEMON THYME ROAST CHICKEN SOUP WITH KALE, BARLEY, AND BEANS

Soups and Chowders|Chicken

Ingredients

1, chicken carcass from 4 ½-5 pound roasted chicken* (see Lemon Thyme Roast Chicken with Gravy recipe)

½-1 cup leftover chicken gravy (optional)

1 large onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped into ¾ pieces (about 2-3 cups)

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

8-10 fresh thyme sprigs, tied together with kitchen string

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 quart chicken stock

2 large soft chicken bouillon cubes or 2 tablespoons chicken base

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1, 2-pound bag carrots, peeled and cut into ½” thick rounds

1 cup raw barley

6 ounces kales leaves, stemmed and rough chopped

1, 15.5 ounce can butter or cannellini beans (including juices)

¾ cup heavy cream

Instructions

Place the carcass* in a 5-7 quart Dutch oven or soup pot with the gravy, onions, celery, mushrooms, fresh time, dried thyme, salt, pepper, and stock to the pot. Add enough water to cover the chicken carcass along with the bullion. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a low boil/simmer and let cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Using a large spoon, periodically skim the fat and foam off the top of the stock and discard, so the soup is not greasy.

Remove the chicken or carcass (which will most likely be falling apart) to a large bowl and let cool.

Add the lemon juice, carrots, barley, and kale to the pot and keep at a low boil. Cook for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once carrots are tender and the barley is full cooked, the chicken should be cool enough to shred into bite-size pieces with your hands. Add shredded chicken, beans, and cream to the soup and cook for 10 minutes more.

Serve the soup hot with crusty bread on the side for dipping.

*Note – You may want add an extra raw chicken breast to the pot if there is not a lot of meat on the bones of the carcass so there is enough meat for the soup. If you do not have a carcass, you can still make this soup by using about 1 pound of raw chicken breasts or thighs. Season the chicken with salt, and pepper and sear in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. After that, follow the steps after the carcass above.