Chicken Stock & Soup

I've been cooking lately. I think it's a combined result of wanting the baby to eat healthy (aka, not takeout) and my husband really enjoys good food and when he's working late (frequently), I kind of enjoy surprising him with something yummy and homemade.

Until recently, the idea of homemade chicken stock was a bit daunting to me. Partly because I rarely eat meat or poultry so the idea of cooking it was even less appealing. One day a friend suggested roasting a chicken and I tried it after he gave me step by step instructions -- Easy! It seemed a waste not to make stock with the bones so I learned.

Chicken carcass with meat picked off and reserved for later use
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 white onion, quartered
1 red onion, quartered
cloves, to taste (stud 1 onion w them)
1 leek, white part only, quartered
carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
celery stalks, cut into large chunks
handful of fresh parsley
fresh thyme
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and smashed

Place all ingredients in large stockpot and cover with water. Heat on med-low for 2-4 hours or longer; the longer stock is cooked, the more flavorful it will be.

Cool. Strain and discard solids. Skim fat off top; to aid in this process, stock can be placed in freezer for an hour or so and fat will rise to the top and solidify for easy removal. Stock can be used immediately or frozen for later use.

To make soup, start with stock and add reserved chicken, frozen corn, chopped fennel bulb, chopped baby bok choy, chopped onion and chopped carrots and celery. Throw in a handful or two of pearl barley. If you like noodles, add them about 10-15 minutes prior to serving so that they won't become mushy. Add minced garlic, sea salt and pepper to taste.

* Some commercial bullions & broths contain casein, a milk protein. Making your own chicken stock and freezing it, helps ensure a supply of dairy-free chicken stock if that's dairy is a concern to you.