There is nothing more comforting than a hot bowl of chicken soup on a cold fall day. Rich broth with chicken, veggies and either rice or noodles. The biggest secret in making a good soup is the stock. You can buy stock but it is not very good. For companies who package food shelf life is the most important consideration. Now that I am over 40 I am more concerned with my shelf life than the shelf life of the food I eat. Even using the reduced sodium stock you are getting half your allotment of sodium in a bowl of soup and it is really not very flavorful.
Making chicken stock is simple and cheap. It does take time but just the time the pot is sitting on the stove. Make lots, it is great in soups, stews, gravy and for cooking rice and freezes well.
Ingredients
Bones and skin from 1 or 2 chickens
2 carrots
3 ribs celery
1 onion
5 black pepper corns
1 tsp salt
Thyme (2 to 3 tsp dry) or a bunch of fresh thyme tied with string
Simple Approach:
Clean and rough chop all of the vegetables (peal the onions). Put vegetables, chicken bones and thyme and salt and pepper into the pot. Fill the pot with water (about 8 to 10 cups). Over medium heat bring the stock to a simmer and reduce the heat to maintain the simmer. Do not boil the stock, it draws the gelatin out of the chicken and muddies the flavor. Simmer for 3 to 5 hours. Strain the stock well and then put back in the pot and boil the stock down to concentrate flavors; I usually reduce it by about 20%. After the stock is reduced add salt to taste. Adding salt before you reduce will result in salty soup.
For Richer Stock Flavor:
Place chopped vegetables and chicken into a roasting pan sprinkle with salt and olive oil. Roast in a hot oven 400 degrees for about 15 min until slightly browned. Deglaze the roasting pan with white wine and empty the roasting pan into your stock pot. From there add water as above and continue with the recipe.
This stock gives you a good base for your cooking. Play with the recipe, add additional herbs, sometimes I like to crush a knob of ginger and add it with the veggies. Some good soup recipes to follow. Updates will be announced from my Twitter @CheckRaiseNS.
Tim's Kitchen Table 