Swamp Soup (Costco Rotisserie Chicken)

Remove the rotisserie chicken from its packaging. Pull off and reserve all the meat; set aside. Place the bones and carcass into a large stockpot.

Pour enough water into the pot to fully cover the bones (about 10–12 cups). Add bay leaves, dried oregano, whole black peppercorns and the 4 garlic cloves for the stock.

Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Let the stock simmer gently, partially covered, for about 3 hours to extract flavor.

After simmering, strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot or bowl and discard the solids (or reserve small amounts of very soft cartilage if desired). Return the strained hot stock to the pot and keep warm over low heat.

While the stock simmers or after straining, blanch the spinach: bring a small pot of water to a boil, dunk the spinach for 10–20 seconds until just wilted, then transfer to an ice bath or cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze out excess water and set aside.

In a blender, combine the 2 jalapeños (deseeded if you prefer milder soup), the ginger pieces, and the blanched spinach. Blend until mostly smooth to form a green puree.

In the blender (no need to rinse), combine the parsley, cilantro (stems removed), basil leaves, and the 2 garlic cloves. Add a splash of the warm stock if needed and blend to a bright herb puree.

Stir both purees into the warm strained stock. Heat gently until the soup is steaming but not boiling, taste, and adjust consistency with more stock or water if it seems too thick.

Add the reserved shredded rotisserie chicken and the cooked leftover rice to the pot. Stir to combine and warm through, 3–5 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot.