I have never attempted to make homemade chicken stock; real chicken parts scare me a little, and bouillon cubes are just too easy. But since I was already baking bread from scratch with real yeast, I figured I would tackle this fear too. Split chicken breasts (the kind with the skin! and bone!) were even on sale this week. I know that you should really use a whole chicken, or even just the less fancy parts, but let’s take this one step at a time.

This was another 2 day project, but it was well worth it in the end. The soup needed a lot more salt and pepper than I expected to taste right, but when it was finally ready, it was a great meal. It is fairly thick with chicken and vegetables, but that is just the way I like it. Chicken soup doesn’t photograph well, but you’ll have to imagine just how good it was.

2 – 2.5 lbs. split chicken breasts
8 c. water
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. frozen corn

Place water and chicken in a large pot. Simmer for 2-3 hours, until chicken is almost falling off the bone. Remove large chicken pieces, and then strain broth into a large bowl, reserving the remainder of the chicken. Allow the broth to cool, then cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Allow chicken to cool, and then remove meat and shred, discarding the skin and bone. Store chicken meat separately from the broth.

When broth is cool, remove layer of white fat which has risen to the top of the bowl and discard. Add 1/4 c. of broth to a large pot, and cook onions, carrots, and celery for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add remainder of broth, chicken, peas, and corn, and simmer for 4-45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Soups and Stews