IBS-Friendly Chicken Stock

Many of the dishes I make during the colder months require a broth of some kind (like chicken or beef stock). However, using the pre-made broths from the store can make it hard to avoid triggering ingredients (like onion and garlic), and many products contain tons of sodium. Therefore, I have made my own IBS-friendly version of a chicken stock recipe that could be used for almost any soup or sauce base. This is great to prepare after cooking a whole roasted chicken because you can use the scraps to produce a delicious broth that tastes great, and is easy on the stomach. Please give it a try and let us know what you think. Thanks!

Ingredients for IBS-friendly chicken stock

• Bones and carcass from one roasted chicken (about 4 lbs)
• 3 carrots, cut in halves
• 3 celery sticks, cut in halves
• 1 tsp of asafetida
• 6-7 sprigs of parsley
• 2 Bay leaves
• 8-9 Whole black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt to taste (this is where you control your sodium intake)
• 4 slices of fresh ginger
• Roughly 2 gallon of water

Directions for IBS-friendly chicken stock

1. Put the chicken carcass and the rest of the ingredients in the bottom of a big stockpot. Then cover with water and put the flame on high.
2. Bring the ingredients to a boil and then let it simmer on low heat for about 5-7 hours. During this time, occasionally skim the scum off the top of the broth whenever it excessively builds up, and add hot water as needed to keep the bones and vegetables covered under boiling water.
3. Strain the stock through a sieve into another stockpot. Then cool immediately in an ice/cold water bath. (Note: to do this, I simply plug the kitchen sink and fill it a quarter of the way with cold water, then add the ice).
4. Once the stock is cooled down, place it in the refrigerator overnight to allow the fat to rise to the top. Make sure to scrape out this fat from the stock the next day and discard.
5. Refrigerate the stock for the next 3-4 days until ready to use, or freeze for up to 3-4 months.
6. Use in a soup, for rice, or as a sauce base. Enjoy!