A Taste of Affordability: Roast Chicken and Chicken Soup

Published in New York City’s The Indypendent on December 19, 2025

It’s the season of giving so I’m providing you with a two-in-one foolproof recipe that requires minimal work and provides you with food for days. I’ve learned much of what I know about cooking from my mother, and this recipe is no exception. Every Sunday, my mother would roast a chicken, much to my chagrin. In my youth, I complained that it was “boring,” failing to recognize the true magic at work. To roast a chicken is one of the most wonderful things a person can do, for themselves, for their family, for anyone or no one. It provides food for days, which makes it the perfect task for a Sunday as it leaves you with leftovers to eat all week.

This can be done all in one day if you get started early in the morning, but there’s nothing wrong with splitting it into two days. I would recommend roasting the chicken and making the stock on the same day, and then you can strain and store the stock to make the soup anytime in the next few days.

While the steps of this recipe don’t require much work, there’s a lot of down time during the roasting, boiling and simmering of it all so this does take longer than most people have on a weeknight. But, if you have the time, I feel the comfort these two meals provide is well worth the wait

Ingredients

• Whole Chicken ~ $15 (This will depend entirely on the size of your chicken. If you are able to, get a chicken  on the larger side to ensure there will be enough left for soup. Otherwise, use your conscience and pick the chicken that speaks to you.)

• Carrots, One Bunch ~ $3.00

• Celery, One Bunch ~ $2.00

• Spanish Onions, Three ~ $2.50

• Garlic, Two Heads ~ $2.50

• Lemons, Three ~ $2.25

• Orange, One ~ $0.70

• Parsley, One Bunch ~ $1.20

• Butter, TwoTablespoons ~ $0.45

• Olive Oil, Four Tablespoons ~ $1.15

• White Wine, One Cup ~ $3.00 (Obviously, the nicer the bottle of wine is, the more expensive it will be. There’s really no need to break the bank on this one, just get something affordable that you don’t mind using for cooking.) 

• Seasoning Packet, One~ $2.00 (This is where your creativity really gets to shine. If you already have a seasoning mix or a collection of dried herbs and spices at home, I would recommend using those. Once again, use whatever speaks to you and remember that whatever you end up using on your chicken will eventually end up flavoring your soup as well.)

• Extra Wide Egg Noodles, One Bag ~ $2.50

Roast Chicken + Stock Directions 

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Remove the skin from two of your onions, roughly slice them and place them on the bottom of a baking dish or cast iron skillet, large enough to fit your chicken without any overhang. Cut your heads of garlic in half and nestle them in with the onions. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil. 

3. Remove the neck and giblets from inside the chicken. Locate the liver and remove from the packet of giblets, as it can add a somewhat bitter flavor to your stock. Save the rest for your stock. 

4. Cut your orange and two of your lemons into large segments and shove inside your chicken. Place your chicken directly on top of your onions, rub some olive oil all over your chicken and dust with your spices/seasoning packet. Massage the seasoning into your chicken and then place in the oven for 30 minutes. 

5. After thirty minutes, drop the heat to 350 degrees and roast for another hour or until the skin is golden brown and the internal temp of the breasts reaches 165 degrees. Let your chicken rest for at least twenty minutes before carving. I would recommend saving your chicken breasts for soup, and the thighs, wings, drumsticks, and any other leftover meat can either be eaten right then and there for dinner or kept in the fridge for sandwiches, salads, or whatever else your heart desires. Regardless, remove as much meat as you can from the carcass, and remove the citrus from inside the chicken as well. 

6. Save two carrots and two stalks of celery for your soup. Peel the rest of your carrots, wash the rest of your celery, and chop them into large chunks. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom of a large pot and add your neck and giblets, cooking until they’ve browned and there’s a lot of brown fond built up on the bottom of the pan. Add your chopped carrots and celery, as well as the onions and garlic from under the chicken, and stir to combine. Add your chicken carcass and enough water to cover everything. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 3-4 hours, depending on your time constraints. In the last 30 or so minutes, toss in your bunch of parsley.  

7. As it simmers, skim the top with a spoon to remove the foamy white impurities and fat that rises to the surface. 

8. Once your stock has simmered for 3-4 hours, strain all of the solids from your stock and discard. Place your stock into quart containers and cool completely before putting in the fridge. As the stock cools, any unwanted fat will once again rise to the top of your container for you to easily remove with a spoon. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to make your soup.