Low Iodine Classic Chicken Stock
A rich, golden homemade stock is one of those kitchen staples that makes everything it touches taste better — soups, braises, risottos, sauces, you name it. For anyone navigating a low-iodine approach, store-bought broths and bouillon cubes can be a minefield of hidden additives, iodized salt, and ambiguous "natural flavors" that make label-reading exhausting. This recipe keeps things beautifully straightforward: chicken bones, fresh aromatics, herbs, and just a measured teaspoon of plain salt — no iodized seasoning blends, no mystery ingredients. The blanching step at the start pulls out impurities before the real simmer begins, which is what gives you that clear, clean, deeply savory result rather than a murky, bitter pot. A long, gentle three-hour simmer coaxes every bit of flavor from the bones and vegetables, filling your kitchen with an aroma that's genuinely hard to beat. Straining it through a fine-mesh sieve and chilling it overnight lets you lift off the solidified fat for a stock that's lean, bright, and ready to anchor whatever you're cooking next. Make a big batch, portion it into containers, and you'll have a reliable, diet-conscious base on hand all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 3 lb chicken bones and carcass (or a whole 3–4 lb chicken, cut into pieces)
- 2 medium yellow onions, quartered (skin on)
- 3 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 12 cups cold water
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then drain and rinse the bones under cold running water to remove any grey foam or impurities. Rinse the pot clean.
- 2
Return the blanched bones to the clean pot. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and salt. Pour in the 12 cups of cold water — the water should cover the bones by at least 1 inch; add more if needed.
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