One Cannot Live without Water…or Chicken Stock
Chicken Stock is a standard pantry item, however can be difficult to find a commercial brand that is prepared without onions and/or garlic.
Approved low FODMAP products are beginning to hit the shelves, but they are not always available from our local stores and we don’t always plan well ahead to mail-order. Every FODMAPer should have a homemade Chicken Stock recipe – and ours is even safe for during your Elimination Phase.
While it takes a while to simmer on the stove, stock is easy to make, and since it freezes well we encourage you to make a batch when you have the time and freeze portions for future use.
This is our favorite basic Chicken Stock, which can be used as a base for soups and stews and to thin sauces; we are sure you will think of other uses as well. Also check out our Beef Stock and Turkey Stock that makes use of leftover roasted carcasses.
How To Use Chicken Stock
How do we use chicken stock? Let us count the ways!
- Use it to make classic Gravy.
- Or how about Mushroom Gravy, featuring low FODMAP oyster mushrooms.
- Risotto! Try our version.
- Many soups work well with Vegetable Broth or Chicken Stock. Try it in your favorite recipes.
- Our Summer Vegetable Soup is fantastic with chicken stock.
- And try it in our Pasta & Bean Soup.
- Have you tried our Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup?
- Our Cream of Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons is a crowd pleaser.
- And of course our gluten-free Matzo Ball soup!
And if you don’t want to make your own, we do love the Monash Certified Low FODMAP Chicken Stock from Gourmend Foods!
Low FODMAP Chicken Stock
This Chicken Stock is low FODMAP and will help you create a myriad of other suitable dishes to enjoy even during the Elimination phase.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes about 4 quarts (3.8 L); 8, 2-cup (240 ml) servings
Ingredients:
- 6- pounds (2.7 kg) of chicken backs, or a 6-pound (2.7 kg) chicken, cut into pieces
- 1 cup chopped leeks, green parts only
- 2 medium carrots, scrubbed, peel intact, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
- 2 medium parsnips, (225 g), peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
- 1 large bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
- 10 medium sprigs of fresh thyme
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Water
Preparation:
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Trim the chicken of most of its fat, reserving about 1 cup (240 ml) of fat pieces. Place reserved fat in bottom of 10 to 12 quart (9.5 L to 11.4 L) stockpot and cook over low-medium heat to render (melt) the fat. This might take a few minutes; don’t rush it; just melt the fat slowly. Add the leeks and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until leeks are beginning to soften but do not let them brown. Place carrots, parsnips, parsley, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf and salt into pot, then add chicken pieces.
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Add water to cover solids by about 1-inch (2.5 cm). Cover pot and bring to simmer over medium heat; turn heat down adjusting to a low simmer and cook for 3 hours. Skim off any fat or froth that rises to the top during the first half hour. Check occasionally and add water if necessary to keep all solid ingredients just submerged.
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When stock is done, pour through a fine wire meshed strainer into a clean pot or container and set solids aside (see Tips). Allow stock to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. Skim all of the fat off of the surface, then divide stock into airtight storage containers. We find that 1-cup (240 ml) and 2-cup (480 ml) amounts are the most handy. We often also freeze some in ice cube trays, then pop the cubes out and store in the freezer in heavy zip-top bags. Stock can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
Notes:
TIPS
- This stock is low-sodium. You can eliminate the salt altogether or increase to taste.
- After you strain out the solids the herbs and carrots should be discarded, but there might be some chicken meat, especially if you used a whole chicken to make the stock. Many folks believe all of the chicken flavor has leeched out into the stock, but we just can’t bear to throw this meat out. Try our Jam-Packed Veggie Chicken Nachos or give your dog a treat.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
This stock will become your go-to for so many dishes! And you can rest assured it is safe to eat – it is Monash University Certified as low FODMAP.
Hi Dede
This recipe looks great
But I noticed you used Leeks instead of Onions
Leeks are part of the Onion family. Could i make this without using anything from the Onion family including Garlic
Hi Ann, tweaking low FODMAP recipes becomes an issue when one adds or substitutes things, as FODMAP loads might change. Removing items would not be a FODMAP issue, but in this case would change the flavor dramatically. You could certainly try this without the alliums or garlic, but it would be a pale comparison taste wise.
Can this be cooked in the instant pot and completed more quickly?
We have not tested it that way in the Test Kitchen but invite you to try. Let us know so that we can share the results. It should work. I didn’t want to develop this Basic recipe in an Instant Pot, since it is not a common appliance in all kitchens. I bet you get great results.
Isn’t there new evidence that cooking chicken bones is bad for sibo sufferers?
Hi Ivy, our recipes were developed by us and reviewed by Monash from a point of view of FODMAPs and their scientific knowledge base. But to more directly answer your question, our Monash trained RD Erica Ilton suggested looking at it this way:
* We don’t think you will find “studies” or clinical evidence at this time.
* We’ve seen SIBO test instructions that specifically say NOT to include bone broth in the prep diet, and have taken that to mean that it may be fermentable. However, Dr. Nirala Jacobi allows it on her SIBO diet.
* Bone broth is on the “no” list for histamine restricted diets.
So, we have seen bone broth restricted on the SIBO prep diet, we know it’s restricted for people with histamine intolerance, and we’ve seen posts and articles (not studies) that indicate it’s fermentable, therefore it may be best to avoid with SIBO until more definitive info is known.
Hope this helps!
Can celery be used in place of parsnips for something closer to a standard mirapoix?
Hi Marni. Very small amounts of celery are low FODMAP. Current lab testing suggests that 10 g (about 1/4 of an average stalk) of celery is low FODMAP, but it becomes Moderate quite quickly at 15 g (1/3 of a stalk). You could use a small amount of celery in any dish, taking these amount PER SERVING into consideration.
Is the chicken supposed to be already cooked or raw?
In this recipe it is raw chicken. We do have a recipe that takes advantage of cooked turkey carcass, which is different.
How much broth does this recipe make?
As stated in the recipe:
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes about 4 quarts (3.8 L); 8, 2-cup (240 ml) servings