When I talk about making homemade chicken stock, people look at me like I have a third eye. Why would you do that when you can just buy it at the store? Because making stock tastes way better than the store-bought stuff.

Very few recipes are easier than this one for chicken stock. All you really need is a big stock pot, chicken, veggies, spices and water.

The recipe, after the jump.

Chicken Stock

1 whole chicken 1 white onion, diced 3 carrots, chopped 3 celery stalks, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 3 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 4 whole black peppercorns 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Sauté the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in the olive oil until onions are soft but not brown. While the veggies are cooking, wash and dry the chicken. Once the onions are soft, put the chicken in the pot and fill with water until the chicken is submerged. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil and then simmer for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, remove the chicken and strain the liquid. Some people will use leftover chicken bones instead of a whole chicken, but I can never remember to save the bones. Plus, you could get strange looks if people find chicken bones in your refrigerator.

Once the liquid is strained, you can either return it to the pot to cool or start making your soup. The stock will freeze just fine if you aren't going to use it in the next couple of days.

Now, what to do with the chicken? Tomorrow, look for a soup recipe.