How to: Make Soup Stocks

No soup is complete without its stock! Whether you choose to make your own or use a high quality  store stock, when you're making soup, it's a must. I'm going to give you a little how to on the soup stocks I use the most.

Chicken Stock
This stock is one of the most flavorful and versatile stocks I use. You can stick to that lovely, free range organic chicken flavor OR you can spice or sweeten it to something completely different.In my family, we always took the leftover chicken and boiled it down to make soup. This is just another way to re-purpose your food and ultimately save you money.

Ingredients:

• 1 roasted organic, free range chicken (picked mostly clean)
• 1 large Onions
• 5 Celery Stalks
• 4 Cloves Garlic (optional)
• 1/2 cup Butter
• Sea Salt and Pepper (to taste)

1. In the bottom a large soup pot, brown onions, celery, and garlic in butter.
2. Fill the pot halfway with water and allow to reduce down.
3. Add your chicken and fill pot up to about 3/4 full.
4. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and let bubble for approximately 2 hours covered. Stock should reduce to fill the pot half way. Add more water to taste and the quantity you desire to make.
5. Remove chicken from pot and put to side.
6. Strain or emulsify the stock to use in other soups OR add more veggies and pull remaining chicken meat and put back into pot for a chicken soup type thing.
7. Stock is great to freeze for later use or use immediately. Should keep in fridge covered for 5-7 days.

Vegetable Stock

When you don't have a roasted chicken laying around, a veggie stock is your only option. Not that veggie stock isn't a good option all by itself! Veggie stock can be used most everywhere that chicken stock can be used. The procedure is much like the chicken stock, but I think it's even easier.

Ingredients:

• 2 large Onions
• 5 Celery Stalks
• 5 Cloves Garlic
• 5 Scallion Stalks
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Province
• Sea Salt and Pepper (to taste)

1. In the bottom of a large soup pot, brown your veggies in butter. You can add more veggies or replace some; it's really to your preference. 
2. Add Herbes de Province or any other herbs such as parsley, thyme, or oregano; again this is to your personal tastes. Add Sea Salt and Pepper.
3. Fill pot with water, and let reduce on medium heat until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 1/3 left in the pot.
4. Fill pot to 3/4 of the way full with water again and cover. Let simmer for approximately 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 1/2 way full.
5. Emulsify veggies into stock or strain them  OR add more veggies and make some veggie soups!
6. Stock is great to freeze for later use or use immediately. Should keep in fridge covered for 4-5 days.

The timing is loosely based due to the variation in pot sizes and what not. Just keep an eye on the soup stock so that it doesn't burn. Always stirring occasionally through all steps of the process! I've made that mistake a few times so that you don't have to ^_^