San Diego has been rainy this past few days and my choices for dinner have been comfort foods. I had bought a Costco rotisserie chicken earlier in the week, and once we'd had that for dinner, I saved the leftover carcass and juices, and today put them into the pressure cooker with some aromatics, and made stock. If you have an Instapot or a pressure cooker this is the easiest way to get chicken stock in less than 40 minutes. Once you have chicken stock, there are so ways to use it in recipes, but today I made chicken orzo soup.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock
Makes about 4 cups
1/2 onion, not peeled, coarsely chopped*
3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
3 ribs celery, coarsely, chopped
1 chicken carcass and any accumulated juices
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 1/2 cups water
Simple ingredients |
Cook's Notes:
If you decide to change this up for a Mexican flavor, substitute 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and 1 lime, cut into quarters for the thyme.
For an Italian soup: Substitute 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary for the thyme.
For an Italian soup: Substitute 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary for the thyme.
I usually don't save the chicken from the pressure cooker since its limp and given up all its flavor for the stock. Cut off all the meat you want to use in the soup before you put the carcass in the pressure cooker, you should have a good 2 cups if you are making soup.
*Don't peel the onion, it adds color and nutrition to the stock.
In a Dutch oven, heat the oil or butter, saute the onion, carrot, celery and sage for 3 to 5 minutes.
*Don't peel the onion, it adds color and nutrition to the stock.
Chicken Orzo Soup
Serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped sage or thyme
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup cooked orzo pasta
2 cups finely chopped chicken
salt and pepper
Add the stock, orzo and chicken.
Simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Soup is good food |