Homemade Chicken Stock

This picture has nothing to do with chicken soup, but Evan took it awhile ago and I love it! Besides I didn't have any pictures of soup to share.

We make a lot of soup at our house. I've had several people ask for the recipe when I've shared a meal. All the soups I make now start with homemade broth (or stock if it's made from the bones). It's very easy to do, but you do have to plan ahead. I make several gallons of broth or stock at a time and freeze the leftovers for later use.

Making the Stock:

• One or two chickens carcasses from your favorite chicken recipe.* Add the neck in too if you have it. (Save the meat to add back to the soup and make other meals too.)



• a splash of apple cider vinegar



• an onion cut in quarters, with the skin for a nice yellow broth



• 4-5 garlic cloves cut in half



• 2-3 stalks of celery roughly cut in large sections



• 4-5 carrots again cut in large sections



• fresh herbs: a few sprigs of rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, marjoram or tarragon. Use whatever you have available.



• Dried Herbs: 1 Tablespoon of whole peppercorns and a few bay leaves are a great addition

In the biggest stock pot you have (or crock pot), place the chicken bones and cover with filtered water two thirds full. Add a few splashes of apple cider vinegar. At this point you can cover and refrigerate overnight if you've just had roast chicken dinner. I like to do this so I can pull the pot out the next morning and simmer the broth all day and have it ready for dinner. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and herbs to the pot and add water if necessary. Leave a few inches of headspace so you don't boil over.

Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer at least 6 hours, up to 24. The longer you simmer, the deeper the flavor and more nutrients are drawn out of the bones. I usually start in the morning, take out what I need for soup at dinner and keep simmering the rest until bed time.

When you're done simmering, strain out all the veggies. I use a large strainer with a handle and scoop out as much as I can into a bowl for composting. Then I place the strainer over whatever container I'm going to use to store the stock, and pour the stock through the strainer. You can now use the bones again and do the exact same thing to get another big batch of stock. It will be a bit less flavorful, but is still wonderful for rice, beans, pasta or quinoa.

I'll post the recipe for chicken soup and potato soup soon.

*Our family likes this one from Fine Cooking and this one from Thomas Kellers book Bouchon