My Easy Homemade Chicken Stock

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken carcass left over from roast chicken
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 1 celery rib, chopped in big pieces
  • 1 large carrot, chopped in big pieces
  • 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
  • 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns (or ground black pepper)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 parsley sprigs including stems (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
  • 8 cups water

Directions:

  1. Bring all ingredients to a boil in a stockpot or large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming foam occasionally, 2-3 hours.
  2. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Cool stock before refrigerating. Skim off and discard fat after it solidifies on top.

My easy go-to is to add a tablespoon or so of tomato paste and another of minced garlic, some tortellini or tiny pasta like orzo or pastina, and some chopped parsley. My family calls it “Mom’s Good-for-What-Ails-You Chicken Soup” because I make it whenever anyone is sick.