Chicken Gumbo

Here’s another recipe for you that uses some of that leftover chicken from my how to roast a chicken post.  I make this frequently, as it’s easy, healthy, and my family loves it!  Guess we cancel out the healthy aspect because we have cheddar bay biscuits on the side.  I figure we need something a bit more hearty, i.e. fattening, when we eat this light soup.  Wouldn’t you agree?

Recipe:
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
4 cups chicken broth*
1/2 green pepper, chopped fine
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
slat
1 cup cooked chicken meat

Melt the butter in a large pot, add the onion and celery, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in broth, green pepper and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add salt to taste; stir in chicken and cook for 2 more minutes.  Taste to see if it needs more salt (mine always does!).  Serve in bowls over rice.

*I usually make my chicken broth for this using the carcass of the chicken.  Just put the whole thing (including any meat remaining on it) into a big pot and pour enough water in the pot to cover the chicken.  Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for about an hour.  Remove the carcass from the water and strain any bones or skin that remain in the pot.  This makes the broth really tasty because it keeps all the flavors from the roasted chicken spices.  Then, once the chicken has cooled down a bit, you can remove the chicken meat from the bones quite easily.

Recipe adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook