Money/Time Saving Recipe #3: Chicken Soup

We are on a tight budget in my house right now, and in an effort to save money and time I'm working on making wallet-friendly dinners that are big enough to at least make lunch the next day and, at best, also freeze for later. (Please keep in mind that I have a family of three, so you would need to increase the size of each recipe if you have a larger group to feed.)

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Thick and Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup
Time: 1-2 hours
Servings: 8+


Ingredients:
Leftover chicken and skeleton from Roasted Chicken w/Stuffing

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 large stalk celery, finely chopped
2-6 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper

32-64 oz low sodium or sodium free chicken stock
water
2 bay leaves
1/2 Tbsp dried sage

4 medium/small potatoes, chopped
2-3 large carrots, chopped
1 cup white rice

1 bunch kale, finely chopped

1. Remove all chicken from skeleton; shred into bite-sized pieces, set in refrigerator until later.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in medium soup/stock pot.
3. Add onion, carrots, and celery; cook 2-3 minutes.
4. Add garlic, salt, and pepper; cook until vegetables are soft.
5. Add chicken skeleton (not meat!) to pot; add liquid(s) to cover.
6. Add bay leaves and sage; simmer over low heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Remove skeleton.
8. Add potatoes, carrots, and rice; simmer for 20 minutes.
9. Add kale and shredded chicken; simmer for 5 minutes.
10. Remove from heat and serve.



This soup only gets better as it sits, so feel free to make ahead of time. Freeze leftover soup in muffin tin(s) and save in freezer bags.