Description
From my family to yours, enjoy this homemade chicken broth. It’s the perfect thing to make on a Sunday to use throughout the week in your soups or sauces!
Equipment
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/2–1 lb beef shank
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 celery heart (about 5–6 stalks, including greens), quartered
- 4 tomatoes, quartered
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered and peeled
- 6 bouillon cubes OR 2-3 tbsp bouillon granules*
- 3–4 quarts water
- 1 tbsp salt
Instructions
- Cook your shank. Season the beef shank with salt and pepper. In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Then add beef shank and sear for 2-3 minutes per side until browned.
- Add all ingredients to the pot. Once the shank is browned, add the whole chicken, vegetables, and enough water to cover it all (this will vary depending on the size of your pot, but I used about 4 quarts of water(. Add the bouillon* and gently stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let it cook for 2.5-3 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Remove the chicken. Carefully remove the whole chicken from the pot and let it cool slightly in a separate bowl. Then shred the chicken meat without the skin and discard the bones. Set the shredded chicken aside for another recipe, like chicken salad or chicken noodle soup!
- Strain the broth. Set a colander or fine mesh sieve over a large bowl or second pot in the sink. Carefully pour the broth through the colander to get rid of the large pieces of vegetables and meat. Then, repeat the process using a fine mesh sieve to strain out smaller chunks of vegetables or meat that may have been left behind. Finally, line the mesh sieve with cheesecloth, clean kitchen towel, or paper towel. Pass the soup through the cheesecloth-lined sieve again a little bit at a time to help strain out the fat. Change out the cheesecloth after every couple of strains. (See notes for alternate fat-straining options)
- Store the broth. If you’re not using the broth right away, let it cool slightly then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or portion the broth and store it in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Notes
- *I used 6 bouillon cubes for 4 quarts (16 cups) of water. If you don’t end up using as much water as I did (depending on the size of your pot), then reduce the amount of bouillon you use. So, if you only use 3 cups of water, use about 4 bouillon cubes.
- If you don’t need the broth right away, you can let the broth cool in the refrigerator overnight. This will allow any fat to solidify, making it easy to skim off the fat layer on top of the broth. The rest of the broth will still be a bit gelatinous but it will liquefy once reheated!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 124
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 1443.1 mg
- Fat: 4.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Protein: 13.3 g
- Cholesterol: 27.7 mg