This slow cooker chicken carcass soup is made in two stages: the carcass simmers overnight in the slow cooker with aromatics to make a deeply flavoured stock, then the soup is built from that stock with chickpeas, butternut squash, pasta, and all the meat picked from the bones.

The recipe is from Supergolden Bakes by Lucy Parissi. Lucy adds a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the stock it helps pull more flavour and body from the bones without affecting the taste of the finished soup. She also says she prefers the slow cooker to the hob for the stock, specifically for its efficiency: “I prefer to use the slow cooker as it is more energy efficient.” Set it before bed, strain it in the morning, and the soup comes together in under 30 minutes.

The pasta goes in for the last 10 minutes of cooking. If you’re making a batch to freeze, leave it out and add it when reheating it soaks up the broth and turns soft overnight.

Slow Cooker Chicken Carcass Soup

Recipe by Shili MohamedCourse: Dinner, SoupsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

10

hours 

Calories

378

kcal

A two-phase slow cooker chicken soup the carcass simmers overnight to make a rich stock, then the soup is built from that stock with chickpeas, squash, and pasta in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 large chicken carcass (or turkey carcass)

• 8 cups (2 litres) water

• 2 large carrots, roughly chopped

• 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped

• 1 large onion, halved

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• Soup Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, finely diced

• 2 celery sticks, finely diced

• 2 reserved carrots from the stock, diced

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 1 cup (200g) butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• 400g (14oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 dashes Tabasco

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup (120g) small pasta or noodles

• 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Place carcass, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and apple cider vinegar in the slow cooker. Pour over water to almost cover. Cook on low overnight (8–10 hours).
• Strain the stock through a colander. Reserve the carrots and pick all meat from the carcass. Discard bones and aromatics.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sweat diced onion, celery, reserved carrots, and potatoes over low heat for a few minutes.
• Add the chicken stock, carcass meat, butternut squash, chickpeas, lemon juice, soy sauce, and Tabasco. Bring to a rolling simmer, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add pasta and simmer for a further 10 minutes until cooked through.
• Season with salt and black pepper. Stir through parsley and serve.

FAQs

Why does the apple cider vinegar go into the stock?

It helps draw more flavour and collagen out of the bones during the long slow cook. The taste cooks off completely you won’t detect it in the finished soup.

Do I have to make the stock in the slow cooker?

You can simmer it on the hob for 2 hours instead if you prefer, but Lucy specifically recommends the slow cooker for efficiency it does the job overnight without any attention and frees up the hob.

Can I use a turkey carcass?

Yes exactly the same method applies. This is a good recipe to turn to after a Christmas or Thanksgiving roast.

Why does the pasta get added at the end?

Pasta absorbs the broth as it sits, so adding it too early leaves the soup thick and starchy. Ten minutes before serving keeps it properly cooked rather than mushy.

What if there’s not much meat on the carcass?

Add a few raw chicken tenders directly into the broth when you start the soup phase. They’ll cook through in the 20-minute simmer and can be shredded before the pasta goes in.

What else goes well with this?

Crusty bread is the natural companion the broth is rich enough to deserve it. For another slow cooker chicken soup worth making, slow cooker classic shredded chicken noodle soup follows a similar hands-off method. Slow cooker chicken and sweetcorn soup makes a lighter companion when you want something on the table the same evening.