Using a roast chicken from the grocery store is a great base for easily preparing a quick meal. Even here in Mexico, it’s easy to find roast chickens - whether from a large supermarket, a corner store, or a local housewife who sells them from her front door.

Here’s 2 great soup recipes that use 1 pre-roasted chicken:

Start by skinning the chicken and cutting off as much meat as you can. Save the meat in a closed container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Take the chicken carcass, including the skin, and place in a large pot. Cover with water (about 2 quarts), bring to a boil, and immediately reduce heat and let simmer for about half an hour. Let cool a bit, drain, reserving the stock, and pick through the chicken to remove any good meat you missed. If you want to freeze the prepared meat, cover with the stock before freezing. You now have great, rich chicken stock and lots of meat to use in the following recipes:

Sopa de Lima – Yucatecan Chicken and Lime Soup

½ the meat from the roast chicken
1 quart of the prepared chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips (or a handful or so of salt-free tortilla chips)
3/4 cup finely chopped white onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup seeded, chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon minced Serrano chiles
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Optional:
1 lime, cut into thin slices
1 avocado, seeded and diced
Additonal minced tomatoes and onions

Heat the oil over high heat and fry the tortilla strips in batches until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. (Or use broken, salt-free tortilla chips)

Drain off most of the oil from the pan and saute the onion and salt until translucent. Add the prepared chicken, garlic, tomatoes, and chiles and saute for a few minutes. Add the stock and lime juice and simmer about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Place 1 lime slice in each soup bowl and ladle the soup on top. Top each serving with diced avocado and tortilla strips. Additional minced cilantro, tortilla chips, chopped tomatoes, and minced onion can be served on the side.


Chicken Posole - practically a stew!

½ the meat from the roast chicken
1 quart of the prepared chicken stock
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
½ tsp. salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 cups white hominy, rinsed and drained

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan. Gently cook the onion and garlic until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes. Add shredded roast chicken meat to the skillet. Stir in the chicken broth, oregano, salt, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook about 1 hour. Stir in the hominy and cook until tender, about 15 minutes more. (Alternatively, put all ingredients in a crockpot and cook 4-6 hours.)
Season to taste, adding salt and chili powder as desired, and serve with tortillas, salsa, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, etc.