Zesty Herbed Chicken Broth

Author Notes

This broth was born out of the leftovers of my Roasted Chicken with Herb Butter, the recipe for which I have posted on this site. I like it because it is simple, satisfying, and can usually be made with the ingredients I have on hand. If you roast two chickens for dinner on Sunday, you can make a soup that will provide you with lunches for days! My "secret ingredient" to add a little zip is two dried chipotle peppers, which simmer in the broth to add a slight heat, but are strained out and removed before making a soup. This broth can be made into an easy chicken noodle soup (posted on my blog, www.lechefskitchen.com) or can be frozen and stored for later use in risottos, soups, and polentas. —lechef

Test Kitchen Notes

Zesty is the perfect adjective to describe this rich, savory broth. We were initially skeptical of lechef’s direction to add two entire dried chipotles to the stock, but the resulting spice is balanced and leaves you wanting another bite rather than mopping your brow. The broth takes on a russet hue from the dried chilis, and the veggies and herbs add layers to the intense chicken flavor. Lechef says to use a teaspoon or two of black pepper – rather than grinding a pile of pepper we used a teaspoon of whole peppercorns, which worked nicely. -A&M —The Editors