My apologies to the non-meat eaters out there, but when fall hits, I’m always in the mood for chicken soup. It’s easy to walk into the grocery store and grab a canned version, but cooking a whole chicken and making chicken stock for cooking is an easy and valuable skill. It’s also a really budget-friendly way to make several meals.
Chicken stock is made by stewing chicken bones – and other pieces – in water. By cooking it, you not only get the flavor, but the gelatin that is naturally in the bones is drawn out, giving you a rich broth that can be used as a base for soups, sauces and lots more.

YOU’LL NEED:
• A whole chicken (3-4 pounds)
• Large stock pot
• Colander
• Water
• Carrots, celery & onions, chopped into large pieces.

Buy a whole chicken at the grocery store. Watch for when they go on sale, and you’ll really be making every dollar count. Look for a chicken in the 3-4 pound range. It’ll be enough to make a few meals for two people – or give you plenty to freeze.
There are several ways to cook a whole chicken, but for this particular recipe, we’re going to poach it. We’re essentially boiling the bird, but the result is a super moist and tender chicken with no added fat.
Rinse your thawed chicken. Remove any giblets, the edible internal organs of a chicken, often wrapped up and placed in the chicken’s cavity. Place the chicken into a large stockpot. Chop your carrots, celery and onions into large pieces (set some aside for the soup we’ll make later) and fill the inside of your chicken and the pot. You can use the ugly wilted carrots, and the celery tops and bottoms for the stock. Fill the pot with enough water to completely cover the chicken. To cook properly, the chicken needs to stay submerged in the water. A small plate that fits into the pot will hold it down.
Put the pot on the stove and bring it to a rolling boil. Turn down to a simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Try to avoid overcooking the chicken, which will make it dry and stringy. If you have a meat thermometer, the chicken is done when the inside of the breast is 165 degrees. If you don’t have one, use a knife to make sure the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
Turn off the stove. Remove the chicken with tongs, leaving the water & vegetables in the pan. Let the chicken cool. The next step is to remove the meat from the chicken, and use the skin and bones to flavor the stock.

Start by removing the legs and wings. Pull the meat off of the bones and place it into a bowl to be added to recipes later. The breasts should be easy to remove in two large pieces. Remove the meat from the legs, wings and thighs, putting any bones or skin back into the stock pot. Set aside the breasts; shred or chop up the remaining meat into small pieces. Put all of the meat into air-tight containers and refrigerate.

Place the bones, skin and any other left-over chicken parts back into your stockpot. You can add a little more water, as well as some white wine if you have any on hand. At this point, add any other vegetables or seasonings that you’d like. Garlic, ginger, peppercorns and bay leaves are standard, but add whatever you like or have. Simmer the pot on low for 3-4 hours. Every half hour or so, skim off the fat that has risen to the top of the pot and stir the stock.
When the stock is done, remove the pot from the heat and strain the chicken parts and vegetables. Throw these away. Put the stock into the refrigerator to cool. Before using, skim any fat that has congealed at the top.

CHICKEN GRAVY:
Serve your chicken breasts with biscuits and mashed potatoes, and use some of your stock to make a simple gravy:

In a saucepan, make a roux of 2 Tbsp. butter with 2 Tbsp. flour. Whisk in 1 cup of stock to yield about a cup of gravy.

CHICKEN SOUP:
Use some of your stock as a soup base. Add a little oil, hot sauce and salt and pepper and whichever vegetables you like. Simmer for a half an hour, or until the vegetables are tender. Add shredded chicken and egg noodles, continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Use the remainder of your shredded chicken in whatever recipes you would like: chicken tacos, chili, chicken salad, etc. The remaining stock can be used in a variety of sauces and soups. Try using it instead of water to make rice. Chicken stock can be stored for a few days in the fridge, or for several months in the freezer.