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Hearty Root Veggie Chicken Soup

April 2026 - Lunch & Dinner

Recipes » Hearty Root Veggie Chicken Soup

Hearty Root Veggie Chicken Soup

This recipe is part of our series on how to turn one whole chicken into four satisfying meals. You’ll need cooked chicken to get started, and a store-bought rotisserie chicken works just as well. This is meal one—and it might be the best one.

Simmering the carcass into stock is the move that brings everything together. The depth of flavour from homemade broth is something a carton from the store simply can’t match. Add in hearty root vegetables, return the shredded chicken, and you have a soup that feels both comforting and nourishing.

A handful of arugula stirred in at the end gently wilts into the hot broth, adding a fresh, peppery contrast to the richness. Make a big pot—this is one of those meals that only gets better the next day.

Directions

  1. Place the chicken carcass, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and herbs in a large pot. Cover with cold water, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours.
  2. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and season the stock with salt. In the same pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onion, carrot, celery, and parsnip until softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook another minute.
  3. Pour in 6 cups of your fresh stock and add the diced potato. Simmer 20 minutes until the potato is completely tender. Add shredded chicken and heat through.
  4. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls, pile a small handful of fresh arugula on top — it wilts beautifully in the hot broth — and serve with thick-cut toast for dipping.

Recipe and images: Speak Healthy To Me

Ingredients

For the stock:

  • Chicken carcass and bones from your roasted chicken
  • 1 onion, halved
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
  • A few sprigs of thyme and parsley
  • 10 cups cold water
  • Salt and peppercorns

For the soup:

  • 6 cups homemade chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 parsnip or turnip, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • A handful of arugula or greens to finish

Thick-cut toast to serve

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