We all love the convenience of a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a quick weeknight dinner, but what if I told you that the best part of the rotisserie chicken is the part that you’ve been throwing away? The next time you buy a rotisserie chicken, instead of tossing out the leftover bones, place them in a large pot, cover them with cold water, and allow them to simmer for about an hour on your stovetop. You’ll end up with a homemade broth that’s richer and more flavorful than anything you can pour from a carton. And, by using this simple, homemade chicken broth to make this chunky potato soup with thyme, you’ll see that you don’t need to spend a lot to make amazing food with just a few basic ingredients.
Certain certifiably unhinged people would have you believe that over the past year, grocery prices have been on the decline. “Bull – – – -!,” is my only response to that out-and-out fib. I’m convinced that these delusional, nonsensical individuals are either just pulling fake statistics out of thin air to make themselves feel better, or else they’ve never actually entered a grocery store within the last decade or two. I’ll admit that I’m one of those strange, out-of-the-ordinary people that has always looked forward to going to the market for groceries. It’s a soothing errand that has always brought me much joy. Well, y’all, no longer. Even if I am excited to check out all of the new products, I also have a feeling of overwhelming doom each time I reach the checkout counter. And it’s not just because I have to check myself out, because grocery store chains are too cheap now to even hire an adequate number of employees. Nope, that’s not why my teeth clench, my temper rears its ugly head, and I find myself saying a little prayer to all of the powers that be as I wait for the total of my grocery bill to appear.
That overwhelming sense of doom comes from knowing that after buying an $8.99 jar of olives, a $7.99 carton of eggs, a $5.99 jar of pickles, a $12.99 package of salami, a $5.49 bag of potato chips, a $5.99 jar of mustard, a $5.29 block of cheese, and a $4.79 bag of pretzels, my bill will come to over $60.00 after taxes. And y’all, this is just my snack bill. We haven’t even discussed the prices for vegetables, fruit, dairy, bread, or meat yet. So, when it comes to throwing a rotisserie chicken carcass in a pot of water to make homemade chicken broth, you better believe that I’m going to be doing that shit. With the $4.99 I’ll save from not having to purchase a carton of chicken broth, perhaps I might actually be able to afford the potatoes, onion, and heavy whipping cream needed for this budget-friendly potato soup recipe. P.S. If you’re really trying to save money and want to switch up a few of the ingredients for less expensive options, make sure to check out the suggestions section below. And, if you’re feeling a bit wealthy, dare to be bougie. Sprinkle a little bit of freshly grated cheddar on top of this soup when serving it. Keep people guessing. Maybe they’ll think you’ve hit the jackpot.
Ingredients:
Homemade Chicken Broth:
- Bones & Skin from 1 Rotisserie Chicken (Skin Optional)
- 12 Cups of Cold Water
Potato Soup:
- 2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 8 Cups Homemade Chicken Broth
- 1 Tablespoon Hot Mustard
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Finely Ground Sea Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 5 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, Peeled & Diced (Approximately 4 Cups)
- 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Directions:
Homemade Chicken Broth:
- Place the bones and skin of the rotisserie chicken in a large stock pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the cold water and cook on high heat for 25 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook for an additional 35 minutes.
- Allow the broth to cool for at least 30 minutes before straining it. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl to remove all of the chicken bones and skin. Discard the bones and skin. Refrigerate the broth in an airtight container until use. Before use, use a spoon to skim any congealed fat off the top of the broth.
Potato Soup:
- Place the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the diced onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the broth, hot mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper. Increase the temperature to high and bring to a boil.
- When the soup comes to a boil, add the diced potatoes and continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Lower the temperature to low, add the heavy whipping cream, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Suggestions:
- When I purchase a rotisserie chicken, I usually remove the skin. Instead of simply tossing it out, I add it to the pot when making homemade broth. It adds lots of flavor. However, if you prefer to leave the skin on your rotisserie chicken, just use the bones to make the homemade broth for this soup.
- I refrigerate the broth overnight, and then skim any fat off the top and discard it. However, if you want to make the soup the same day as the broth, you can skip this step. There will be a little bit more fat in the soup, but it shouldn’t be overly greasy.
- If you end up with less than 8 cups of homemade chicken broth, add water to make up the difference.
- I used Löwensenf Extra Hot Mustard for this recipe. You can find it for sale online or at many gourmet markets. You can use any brand of mild, hot, or spicy mustard for this recipe.
- Make sure to cut the potatoes into bite-sized, uniform pieces so that they cook at the same rate.
- I did not cover this soup while it was cooking because I wanted the liquid to reduce. Feel free to cover it if you would like, just make sure to stir the soup occasionally.
- If you don’t have heavy whipping cream, replace it with 3/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of salted or unsalted butter. If you are using salted butter, you may want to reduce the amount of salt you add to the soup.
- This soup will yield 4 servings.
Improvements:
- Garnish this soup with freshly shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, or finely chopped scallions.
- Add a few peeled and diced carrots to this chunky potato soup.
- Garnish the soup with a little bit of fresh thyme, if you have it growing in your garden.
- Serve this soup with these Zesty Italian Balsamic Baked Oyster Crackers or these Baked Parmesan Italian Seasoned Crackers.
- CLICK HERE to see all of our other amazing soup, chili, stew, and chowder recipes. Make sure to check out all of our other Potato Soup Recipes.
Ingredients:
- Bones & Skin from 1 Rotisserie Chicken (Skin Optional)
- 12 Cups of Cold Water
- 2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 8 Cups Homemade Chicken Broth
- 1 Tablespoon Hot Mustard
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Finely Ground Sea Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 5 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, Peeled & Diced (Approximately 4 Cups)
- 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Directions:
- Place the bones and skin of the rotisserie chicken in a large stock pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the cold water and cook on high heat for 25 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook for an additional 35 minutes.
- Allow the broth to cool for at least 30 minutes before straining it. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl to remove all of the chicken bones and skin. Discard the bones and skin. Refrigerate the broth in an airtight container until use. Before use, use a spoon to skim any congealed fat off the top of the broth.
- Place the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the diced onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the broth, hot mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper. Increase the temperature to high and bring to a boil.
- When the soup comes to a boil, add the diced potatoes and continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Lower the temperature to low, add the heavy whipping cream, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
PIN THIS RECIPE
Don’t let this recipe slip away. How often do you find a recipe intriguing, yet forget where to find it when you finally get the hankering to make it? Instead of digging through old posts or wandering aimlessly around on the internet, why not Pin this recipe to Pinterest where you can find it when you eventually need it? Simply Pin the image above and you’ll have it when that time comes. You can follow us HERE on Pinterest or simply click HERE to find all of our pin-worthy recipes.
One-Pot Cauliflower & Cheddar Soup with Thyme
Cozy Winter Sweet Potato & Thyme Soup
Spicy Potato & Kale Beer Cheese Soup
In 2024, we cooked and baked our way through the alphabet with several of our food blogger friends. Every other Wednesday, we shared a new recipe featuring a consecutive letter of the alphabet, starting with A in January and ending with Z in December. CLICK HERE to find all of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge recipes.
Baked Chicken Tenders with Crushed Fritos
Easy to prepare and perfect for any occasion, these Mexican-inspired baked chicken tenders are sure to be a hit with both kids and adults alike. After being coated in a creamy blend of mayonnaise and zesty taco seasoning, and then covered with a generous layer of crunchy, salty crushed Fritos corn chips, these oven-baked chicken tenders are juicy, perfectly seasoned, and ready to be served as a comforting weeknight meal or a crowd-favorite game day snack.
In 2025, we’ll be cooking and baking our way through the alphabet with several of our food blogger friends. Every other Wednesday, for the 2025 Alphabet Challenge, we’ll be sharing a new recipe featuring a consecutive letter of the alphabet, starting with A in January and ending with Z in December.
“A” – Creamy Parmesan Acini di Pepe with Potatoes
“B” – Chocolate Espresso Rainbow Brownie Cookies
“C” – Cheesy Cheddar Taco-Seasoned Corn Chip Dip
“D” – Sun-Dried Tomato Dip with Italian Seasoning
“E” – Cajun Deviled Eggs Garnished with Pickled Okra
“F” – Sausage Meatballs with Vodka Fennel Sauce
“G” – Guinness Stout Crockpot Simmered Corned Beef
“H” – Baked Homemade Buttery Herb Croutons
“I” – Sun-Dried Tomato & Kale Italian Pasta Salad
“J” – Sweet & Spicy Jalapeńo Canned Tomato Salsa
“K” – Sweet & Spicy Hawaiian Pineapple Ketchup
“L” – Chickpea Salad with Lemony Swiss Chard Pesto
“M” – Pineapple Ketchup Ground Turkey Meatballs
“N” – Nut-Free Basil Pesto Chunky Tomato Sauce
“O” – Sheet Pan Italian Olive Oil Summer Vegetables
“P” – Peach Crumble Pound Cake (Cake Mix Recipe)
“Q” – Parmesan Potato & Zucchini Crustless Quiche
“R” – Cinnamon Raisin Vanilla Zucchini Bread Muffins
“S” – Weeknight Sweet Italian Sausage Gravy with Beer
“T” – Budget-Friendly Chunky Potato Soup with Thyme
“U” – Chunky Pumpkin Ancho Unsweetened Cocoa Chili
“V” – Sweet Tea Vodka Vegetable Couscous Soup
“W” – Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Whiskey
“X” – Rotisserie Chicken Xavier Soup with Fennel
“Y” – Yellow Mustard Seed Giardiniera Deviled Eggs
“Z” – Simple Zero Cream Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Please make sure to check out the other great “T” recipes below. A huge thanks to A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting this 2025 Alphabet Challenge event.
- Bitter Orange and Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies by Culinary Cam
- Blueberry Buckle Tassies by A Messy Kitchen
- Budget-Friendly Chunky Potato Soup with Thyme by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Michigan End-of-Summer Harvest Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Mini Taco Salad Cups by Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Pass Around Macaroni and Tomatoes by Palatable Pastime
- Roasted Chicken Thighs with Stuffing by Food Lust People Love
- Tangerine Ricotta Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Thakkali Chammanthi /Tomato Chutney by Sneha’s Recipe
- Thanksgiving Turkey Veggie Platter by Blogghetti
- Tomato Tortellini Soup by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
