Soup for Colds, Step 2: The Process

Start with good-quality chicken (or vegetarian) stock. If it’s store-bought, look for brands that have a minimum of other stuff in them; organic products are probably your best bet. I make my own, starting with a rotisserie chicken (usually from Costco). I strip off the skin, remove the bones, and put all that stuff in a big pot with lots of water; I also scrape up all the juice that collects in the bottom of the supermarket tray and add that too. After a long, slow simmer (half an hour, maybe more; it’s not critical), I strain off and discard all the solids and put the liquid in the refrigerator to cool. Once the excess fat has solidified, I remove that and toss it. Now I have wonderful chicken stock, absolutely full of flavor, essentially for free.