Soup for the Soul.

I'm feeling about 20% better than I was yesterday.  There is still some coughing and some achy-ness (okay, a lot) but the headaches have subsided and so have those nasty chills.  I decided to be a bit more ambitious today and actually get out of the house so I drove Lee to work this morning so that I could have the car to do some grocery shopping.  And, since I'm sick, nothing sounded better than homemade chicken noodle soup with made-from-scratch stock.

When I make chicken noodle soup, if I'm pressed for time or just feeling lazy, I'll use pre-made chicken stock.  But since I have nothing better to do (and my lower back is killing me from spending all day on the couch yesterday) I figured I'd go the extra mile and make some homemade chicken stock.  The recipe I used is not difficult but it asks that you simmer the stock for 6 to 8 hours!  I have nothing but time today so I decided to jump right in.

I modified the chicken stock recipe just a bit.  Instead of using raw chicken, I roasted the full chicken (that had been cut into 8 pieces by the butcher) in a 425F oven with a mixture of aromatic herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano) and salt & pepper for approximately 40 minutes (or until the meat thermometer read 180F).  When the chicken had cooled, I pulled the meat from the bones (to be used in the chicken noodle soup) and placed the bones in the stock pot with the already cooking vegetables.  I find that roasting the chicken before using the bones in the stock gives it a much richer and heartier flavor.

My chicken stock has been simmering almost 4 hours now and my apartment smells wonderful!  With the wet and dreary weather outside, the warm smells from the bubbling pot are so soothing to my recovering body.  Since the chicken noodle soup made from this delicious stock won't be finished till dinnertime, I'll post the rest of the recipe tomorrow. 

What are your thoughts on homemade soup stocks?  I enjoy the process of cooking so, if I have the time, I don't mind making stock from scratch.  Although it is waaaaay easier to just pop open a box of chicken stock and get cooking!