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A comforting bowl of Rotisserie Chicken & Mushroom Soup is shown as the featured image for the recipe.

Easy Rotisserie Chicken & Mushroom Soup

Transform a rotisserie chicken carcass into a flavorful and comforting mushroom soup. This recipe maximizes flavor with minimal effort by extracting the essence from chicken bones and earthy mushrooms through a gentle simmer, resulting in a restaurant-quality soup at home.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 rotisserie chicken carcass, meat removed and reserved about 2 cups shredded chicken
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 pound mushrooms cremini, shiitake, or a mix
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups chicken broth low sodium preferred
  • 1/2 cup dry sherry optional
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream optional
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
  • Salt to taste

Equipment

  • Large pot or Dutch oven
  • cutting board
  • knife
  • fine mesh sieve
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • Ladle

Method
 

  1. Remove as much meat as possible from the rotisserie chicken and set aside. Roughly chop the carcass into smaller pieces.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
  3. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and begin to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
  4. Add the chopped chicken carcass to the pot. Pour in the chicken broth and add the dry sherry (if using), thyme, sage, and black pepper.
  5. Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 hours for a deeper flavor. The longer you simmer, the richer the broth will become.
  6. Carefully strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids (bones and vegetables).
  7. Return the strained broth to the pot. Add the reserved shredded chicken and heat through. Stir in the heavy cream (if using) for added richness. Season with salt to taste.
  8. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.

Notes

For a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth and omit the chicken carcass. Add a handful of dried porcini mushrooms to the broth for extra umami flavor. If you don't have dry sherry, you can substitute a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white wine vinegar. Feel free to add other vegetables to the soup, such as potatoes, leeks, or corn. For a thicker soup, you can blend a portion of the soup with an immersion blender before adding the chicken. Soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.