Many of us have used chicken stock as the base for soup during Phase 2
You can make your own very easily, you know what goes in it and you
can control things like sugar, additives, etc.

You can find sugar free organic chicken stock at Whole Foods,
Trader Joe's or Wild Oats.  You have to read the labels, though!

Most soup recipes are based on 2 cups of chicken stock, but if you're
worried about sodium or are using a canned or boxed stock,
you can use 1 cup stock to 1 cup water to reduce your sodium intake.

This is the classic stock recipe that takes some time to make.
A one hour chicken stock recipe can be found below.

Bones and extra meat from a cooked organic chicken
1 large onion, peeled & quartered, quarter again
2 large carrots, peeled and cut in large hunks
3 stalks of celery, cut into large chunks
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. basil
2 bay leaves
2-3 T. minced garlic or sliced garlic cloves
fresh ground black pepper to taste
sea salt to taste (optional)
3 T. Butter
water

Add butter  to a large stock pot, add celery and stir for 2 minutes.
Add onion, stir and cook a few more minutes.
Add garlic, continue to stir another minute.
Add bones, chicken meat and carrots to the pot.
Cover with water.
Add spices, stir and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 3 hours.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Let stock cool slightly and strain stock through a fine seive.
Put strained stock in the refrigerator and let cool overnight.
Remove fat from the top after stock has cooled.
Use within a week or freeze.
Put the stock in freezer bags or plastic containers to freeze.

Note:  You can also use chicken pieces instead of the chicken bones.
Once the stock has cooled slightly, remove the chicken with a large
strainer ladle.  Strain stock like normal.  Let chicken cool and remove
the meat from the bones for use in salad, chicken salad, omelets, soup, etc.

NOTE:  One of the easiest ways to cook a whole chicken is to put it in the crockpot overnight. 
Put a few hunks of carrot, celery and onion in the bottom of your crockpot. 

Put a few more vegetable pieces inside the chicken.
Put the chicken on top of the vegetables, breast side up.
Add as many spices as you would like, particularly
minced garlic. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook overnight on low. 
The chicken will be falling off the bone and you can remove
from the crockpot, let the chicken cool and remove the meat from the
bones for use in other dishes.  You can also dump the contents
of the crockpot into your stock pot.

Note:  French Provencal spice is also good to use in this recipe. 

ONE HOUR CHICKEN STOCK

This is a good, all-purpose stock which only takes a little 
over an hour to prepare, and is fine if you don't have time 
for the classic stock.

1 medium onion, chopped 
1 carrot, chopped 
2 ribs celery, chopped 
Parsley stems (about half of the stems from one bunch) 
2 bay leaves 
4 pounds whole chicken legs or backs and wings, cut into 2-inch pieces 
2 quarts cold water 

Heat a little oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. 
Add the onion; ] sauté until colored and softened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. 
Add the celery and carrot and cook until the celery has begun to get 
tender, another 3-4 minutes. 
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Add half of the chicken pieces to the pot; sauté both sides until 
lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to the bowl 
with the vegetable mixture. Sauté the remaining chicken pieces. 
Return the vegetables and chicken pieces to the pot. 
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken releases 
its juices, about 20 minutes. 

Increase the heat to high; add the water, salt, and bay leaves. 
Bring to a simmer, then cover and barely simmer until the stock is 
rich and flavorful, about 30 minutes. 

Strain the stock and discard the solids. Cool the stock 
(ziploc bags filled with water and frozen make great stock-coolers), 
then place in a container in the fridge until cold, and all the fat 
rises to the top and sets. 
Skim off the fat, then you may keep the stock in the fridge for up 
to 2 days, and in the freezer for 6 months.

Makes about 2 quarts of stock. 

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