Don't throw out those chicken trimmings!

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

disco

Epic Pitmaster
Original poster
OTBS Member
SMF Premier Member
Oct 31, 2012
11,135
5,265
Canadian Rockies
Every time you spatchcock a chicken, bone a chicken thigh or cut off the tips of chicken wings. You are gathering material to make chicken stock and soup. The same goes for chicken and turkey carcasses after carving. Just boil them up with some onions, celery, carrots and herbs.

Yesterday, I went to my freezer and found out I was out of home made soup! An impossible state of affairs going into the winter. So, I opened the fridge to see what I had.

I cut some red onion into short julienne, rough chopped some home grown garlic and chopped some trimmings from my home made back bacon that I keep in the fridge as sort of smoked lardons.


 I had brought some green tomatoes indoors to ripen and had a few that were the last ones that were going to get red. They don't have as good a taste as outdoor ripened but they would give my soup a nice taste and texture. So, I blanched and skinned them. Then I cut them into a rough large chunk.


I nuked a couple of home made fresh garlic sausage just until they could be cut into discs.


I heated up some butter and cooked the onions just until they were sweating nicely and added the garlic.


I added the garlic and sautéed for a couple of minutes. Then I added the bacon trimmings and sautéed until the bacon started to colour the bottom of the pot.


I added the sausage and just gave it a couple of minutes to add some more colour to the pot.


While doing all this, I nuked one of my frozen containers of chicken stock to thaw. I added the thawed chicken stock, the other two containers of frozen chicken stock and the tomatoes into the pot, covered and kept over medium high heat.


While it was coming to a boil, I chopped some frozen beans from my garden.


When it reached a boil, I lowered the heat to simmer and added the beans, 1/2 teaspoon each of thyme, basil, rosemary and oregano (all dried). I also threw in 3/4 of a teaspoon of extra hot Cajun spice.


I let it simmer for 45 minutes and then added 1/2 cup of orzo pasta and let it simmer for 20 more minutes.

The finished product.



The verdict: This is wonderful soup with smoky undertones from the bacon trimmings, a nice broth texture from the tomatoes and nice chunks of sausage.

I rest my case. Don't throw out your chicken trimmings!

Disco
 
  • Like
Reactions: snorkelinggirl
Great job disco.looks amazing..i have 6 gallon size ziplock bags full of chicken backs from spatching and was thinking of making a stock with them...might give this a go also...thanks.
 
Great job disco.looks amazing..i have 6 gallon size ziplock bags full of chicken backs from spatching and was thinking of making a stock with them...might give this a go also...thanks.
You have to do it! A huge batch of chicken stock is good for months in the freezer and is good for so many different things!

Disco
 
  • Like
Reactions: turnandburn
Think you might've just motivated me amigo. Love a good soup, especially in the wintertime. Im pretty sure a good soup is mandatory in the cold temps. Lol. ;-)
Go to it! There is nothing like a nice hot bowl of soup on a cold day.
Yes sir! I love to smoke foods then use them as ingredients in other unrelated dishes. This is definitely a great lookin post! Thanks.
Thanks. You can't do much better than using your own garden produce and home made ingredients.

Disco
 
Chicken stocks and chicken broths are a big hit in our house.

Think I need a bigger freezer?

Yours look great!

Good luck and good smoking.
 
 
Chicken stocks and chicken broths are a big hit in our house.

Think I need a bigger freezer?

Yours look great!

Good luck and good smoking.
Thanks. If you're making your own stock and broths, a bigger freezer is a small price to pay!

Disco
 
Great looking soup Disco! I boil down all of our chicken carcasses for stock! Sometimes if we aren't going to use it right away, I'll freeze for use later. Pour the stock from a measuring cup into ice cube trays. Remember how many cubes makes a cup. Package the in whatever cup increment you want. Then when a recipe calls for a cup or two of stock you don't have to measure. I usually vac pac mine in 2 cup servings.
 
Way to Go Disco, That’s what I call a soup for sure.

I boil down all of my trimmings. I make my own Chicken or Beef Stock and freeze it. I remember as a kid, mom would send me to the butcher shop for a big pack of chicken backs and pork bones. She would boil them down and make a big pot of Chow Mein that night.
 
 
I love soups and I live in South Texas.  I can eat them in the middle of summer right after mowing the yard.  That looks really good.
Thanks. I always thought us Northerners were the soup fanatics. It's good to see that people everywhere know good food. Of course, now that I think of it, I shouldn't be surprised. I love gumbo.
 
Hey Disco

That soup look really great.  I don't get much chance to make soup.  All the carcasses around here, I use to make stew to add to the dogs food.  In that dept they eat better than me

Gary
Thanks Gary. You have lucky dogs!
 
Great looking soup Disco! I boil down all of our chicken carcasses for stock! Sometimes if we aren't going to use it right away, I'll freeze for use later. Pour the stock from a measuring cup into ice cube trays. Remember how many cubes makes a cup. Package the in whatever cup increment you want. Then when a recipe calls for a cup or two of stock you don't have to measure. I usually vac pac mine in 2 cup servings.
Thanks, Case. I used to do stock in ice cube trays but I make so much home made soup, I put most in two cup containers and some in 1/4 cup amounts in muffin tins for smaller recipes. Same idea, just more convenient sizes for me. I just changed from the ice cube method this summer after reading a magazine article that used the muffin tins.

Disco
 
Way to Go Disco, That’s what I call a soup for sure.

I boil down all of my trimmings. I make my own Chicken or Beef Stock and freeze it. I remember as a kid, mom would send me to the butcher shop for a big pack of chicken backs and pork bones. She would boil them down and make a big pot of Chow Mein that night.
Thanks, OB. When I was growing up, I wouldn't look at home made soup. My mom would make homemade soup that the only purpose was to use up whatever was in the fridge. There was no boiling down of backs or bones and it was pretty bad. My wife had the same upbringing and she still isn't into soup until this day.

What your mom made sounds great.
 
Disco

That is some good looking soup. I make a lot of soup. I save pan drippings from my smokes as well as Boil down the stock. As case said I also use ice trays to freeze. Then If I just need one cube I'm good to go.

Happy smoken.

David
Thanks, David. So far I have used the drippings from my smokes to make sauces. I love it! I may have to take your suggestion and try some in some soup.

Disco
 
 
Thanks, Case. I used to do stock in ice cube trays but I make so much home made soup, I put most in two cup containers and some in 1/4 cup amounts in muffin tins for smaller recipes. Same idea, just more convenient sizes for me. I just changed from the ice cube method this summer after reading a magazine article that used the muffin tins.

Disco
Ah ha as the light bulb goes on!
hit.gif
Why hadn't I thought of that!
hit.gif
Yogurt and sour cream containers too, already measured out in 8 and 16 oz servings!!
hit.gif
 
Dang Disco! I just made chicken soup and Split pea back to back, this post is creating an itch to make something else now. THANK YOU!!! 
yahoo.gif


My son and I just love soup. When I make a batch we will boil it up for breakfast and fill our thermoses for lunch. He is one of very few 12 year olds I know that wants to eat split pea soup for lunch.

Actually my 12 yo nephew was over when the soup was made and I asked him if he wanted to have some. He gave that gross face. I said are you sure you do not want a bowl? He asked does my cousin like it? He ended up trying it, then shoveling it in his mouth scoop after scoop. One more convert. :)
 
 
Dang Disco! I just made chicken soup and Split pea back to back, this post is creating an itch to make something else now. THANK YOU!!! 
yahoo.gif


My son and I just love soup. When I make a batch we will boil it up for breakfast and fill our thermoses for lunch. He is one of very few 12 year olds I know that wants to eat split pea soup for lunch.

Actually my 12 yo nephew was over when the soup was made and I asked him if he wanted to have some. He gave that gross face. I said are you sure you do not want a bowl? He asked does my cousin like it? He ended up trying it, then shoveling it in his mouth scoop after scoop. One more convert. :)
Thanks, Carlos.

I just love to see people cook with and for their family. Those little moments and traditions stay with you and bring joy for a life time. A simple example, my dad used to make "Potato Pies" for us when mum made boiled potatoes. He would put butter on them, mash them up, smooth them into a perfect circle and spread a thin layer of ketchup all over it. Sounds like nothing but he did it with such care that we wouldn't eat boiled potatoes any other way and mum just couldn't do it like him when he was out of town. I still remember it fondly.

Keep feeding the family. They will thank you for it.

Disco
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky