Got a random chicken lying around? No? Well, that’s ok. Cook this Spatchcock chicken recipe then come back and make soup with the leftovers! Otherwise you can use a rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken strips, or whatever other chicken you’ve got hanging out in the fridge begging to be used before it takes a turn for the garbage can. If you don’t use a whole chicken, you’ll need about 6 cups of chicken broth just FYI.

Recipe

• 1 leftover whole chicken (or 6 cups of chicken broth)
• 2 cups cooked chicken – shredded
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 onions – 1 sliced – 1 diced
• 2 bell peppers – sliced
• 2 carrots – roughly chopped
• 6 cloves garlic – 3 sliced – 3 – minced
• 6 tortillas cut in strips
• handful of fresh cilantro
• 1 cup of shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack, but you can use whatever you have – cheddar, Colby, etc.)
• 1 avocado – sliced – optional

Remove the chicken from the bones, and set aside. Place the carcass in a large pot and cover with water (you want the pot to be about 3/4 full). If using chicken broth, just add the broth to the pot. To the liquid add the onion, peppers, carrots, and garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour.

After said hour elapses, remove the chicken bones, onions, carrots and strain out any skin/fat/tendons that may be floating around. Then add in a can of diced tomatoes, diced onion, minced garlic, and more bell peppers. At this point, add your salt – do this to taste – I usually start with a teaspoon and work my way up from there.

Stir gently and toss in some cilantro if you’re into that – I’m of the blah, tastes like soap crowd, but my hubby is a die hard fan of the uber flavorful herb. So I usually add it for him, and just fish it out of my bowl. Ahh, true love.

Meanwhile, shred the leftover chicken and cut your tortillas into strips. Drop the chicken in the soup so it can warm up. No one likes cold bits in their soup!

Grab four bowls then add shredded cheese and the tortilla strips to the bottoms. Carefully ladle in the soup, garnish with avocados, sour cream, more cheese or tortillas.

Bon Appetit!