Easy Chicken Stock

Written By Deborah La

Warm, quick & nutritious - the kind of base you can turn into anything. Soup, noodle base, risotto, sautee veg with or even for a bowl of savoury oats or congee.

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken marylands or 1 chicken frame (add chicken feet for extra collagen)

  • 1 carrot halved

  • 1 stalk celery

  • 1 tsp whole peppercorns

  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1 onion, halved (skin on is fine)

  • 1 bay leaf

  • Cold water to cover

Method

Here’s the fun part - choose from simmer on stove, slowcook or pressure cook if you have mutlicooker or Instapot. For pressure cook, 15mins is sufficient and let it natural release fully.

  1. Place everything into a pot.

  2. Add water (filtered or tap is fine). Just enough to cover the chicken.

  3. Bring to a gentle boil, then immediately drop to a low simmer.

  4. Simmer 1.5–2 hours for marylands, 2.5–3 hours for a frame.

  5. Skim any foam in the first 20 minutes.

  6. Remove chicken, strain broth, taste and season with sea salt.

Slow Cooker Timing

  • Low: 8–10 hours (best flavour + gelatin)

  • High: 4–5 hours (still great if short on time)

Low is ideal - it keeps everything gentle, which means a cleaner, sweeter stock. The longer the cook time, the higher the histamine levels will be.

Notes

  • Natural release = no cloudy stock, no splatter, no drama.

  • ACV still does its mineral‑drawing magic.

  • Onion skins = deeper colour.

  • If you want it extra gelatinous, add a few chicken feet or wings next time. Find these from Redina’s or Belmore Biodynamic Meats in Balwyn.

Deborah La
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Chicken noodle soup