Turn One Chicken Into Three Different Soups With This Easy Meal Prep Recipe

For Chicken Broth: Place whole chicken into a large pot. If gizzards are included with the chicken, add neck, heart, and gizzards as well but do not add the liver. Add onion, celery, carrots, and bay leaf. Pour in water.

Set pot over high heat and wait for the water to just start to boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer very gently for 1 hour. After 1 hour, ladle 4 cups of the broth into a heatproof container and set aside. Carefully remove chicken carcass to a bowl. Pull off the wings and any pony pieces that will easily pull off the chicken such as pelvis, leg, and bones. Carefully peel off any skin of those pieces and add that back to the pot as well and continue to simmer very gently over low heat while the chicken meat cools.

Once chicken is cool enough to handle, pull off all the white and dark meat, but keep them separate and store in different containers in the refrigerator once meat has cooled down. Return all chicken bones and meat scraps back to the soup pot. Continue simmering very gently on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Carefully pass broth through a fine mesh strainer and allow to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Yield should be about 12 cups.

For Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Easy Tom Kha Gai): Pour vegetable oil into a 3 quart saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, until sizzling, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute.

Add red curry paste and brown sugar, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and the coconut milk, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Once soup is simmering, reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Shred two generous cups white chicken meat, and mix into the soup. Stir in fish sauce and simmer for 5 more minutes. Turn off heat, and squeeze in juice of 1 1/2 limes, or to taste. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary.

Serve immediately, garnished with thinly sliced hot, red chilies, and freshly chopped or torn, cilantro leaves.

For Chicken Macaroni Soup: Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and salt and cook until onions are soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.

Pour in broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add chicken and season with black pepper and cayenne. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in macaroni and cook until noodles are as tender as you like. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh thyme leaves.

For Tuscan Bean and Greens Soup: Add olive oil to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Add onion and salt and cook, stirring, until onions start to turn translucent, 5 or 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add beans, black pepper, red chili flakes, and chicken broth. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Meanwhile, use a potato masher to crush 1/2 of the beans to give the soup a smoother, slightly thicker texture. Stir in rosemary.

Once soup is boiling, stir in kale. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until kale is as tender as you want, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and add lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley. Soup can also be garnished with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately with crusty bread, or crispy fried bread croutons.