Homemade Chicken Broth

One of the most used staples in our home is chicken broth. I do occasionally purchase broth from the supermarket and keep it in the pantry to use as needed, however, I make my own homemade version at least once a week. It is so much better then store-bought! Not to mention the fact that I know everything that has gone into it.

All you do is add the ingredients to a pot, let it simmer for 3-4 hours on medium-low heat, and that's it! I like to use half a chicken because it produces a richer chicken broth in my opinion, however, anything works as long as you use the bony parts of the chicken, i.e. legs, thighs, or wings.

So I make sure to always have a container of my homemade chicken broth in the freezer and when I need to make a quick meal or soup, I take it out the night before, or even the day of, and let it thaw. Easy, peezy.

And there's so many things you can do with the left-over cooked chicken. I use it to make soups, like this chicken pot pie soup.

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HOMEMADE CHICKEN BROTH

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds chicken (about 1/2 chicken, or chicken legs, thighs, wings, etc)

• 2 medium onions, quartered

• 2 carrots, cut into chunks

• 2 celery stalks, cut into chunks

• 2 1/2 quarts water, plus more as needed

• A few sprigs of fresh parsley, optional

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a large stockpot or Dutch oven; add enough water to cover completely. Bring to just a simmer over medium-high heat.

2. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer uncovered for 3-4 hours, skimming the foam that forms on the top as necessary.

3. Remove the chicken and set aside until cool enough to use for later. Strain the broth through a strainer, discard of the vegetables and other solids.  

4. Cover and chill broth in the refrigerator.  A layer of fat will form on the surface, which may be skimmed off and discarded.

5. Or, transfer broth in storage containers and freeze until ready to use.