It's cold and flu season, the snow and mercury continue to fall, and nothing tastes better on the lips than homemade chicken soup when a little comfort is needed.

It's easy to boil a whole chicken for your own chicken stock -- to keep in the freezer when future colds hit, or for an easy weeknight meal. Not only do you reap the most health benefits from a real boiled bird, your homemade chicken stock isn't loaded with sodium and MSG like most prepackaged soups and bouillons.

Below are step-by-step instructions for The Canadian Living Test Kitchen's Homemade Chicken Stock and Chicken Noodle Soup. 

How to make your own Homemade Chicken Stock and Chicken Noodle Soup:

Basic Chicken Noodle Soup

• 2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
• 1/2 cup  (125 mL) minced onion
• 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) each sliced carrots and celery
• 1 cup    (250 mL) sliced parsnips
• 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) egg noodles
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh parsley
• Hot pepper sauce
• Salt and pepper

Homemade Chicken Stock

• 5 lb (2.2 kg) Stewing hen or roasting chicken
• 2  carrots, chopped
• 2  stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1  leek, chopped (optional)
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) whole black peppercorns

Preparation
1. Homemade Chicken Stock: Place hen or roasting chicken in stockpot or Dutch oven; add 16 cups (4 L) water. Bring to boil; skim off froth. Add carrots, celery, onion, leek (if using), parsley, bay leaf, salt, thyme and peppercorns. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 2 to 2-1/2 hours for hen, 1 to 1-1/2 hours for chicken, or until juices run clear when thigh is pierced.

2. Remove chicken and refrigerate. Strain liquid through cheesecloth-lined sieve into large shallow bowl, pressing vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Let cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or for up to 12 hours.

3. Remove fat from surface. Set aside 8 cups (2 L). Refrigerate remaining 7 cups (1.75 L) for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 4 months for another use.   

4. Chicken Noodle Soup: In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; cook onion, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add reserved 8 cups (2 L) chicken stock; bring to boil. Add carrots, celery and parsnips; cover and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

5. Add noodles; cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until noodles and vegetables are tender.   

6. Remove skin and bones from chicken. Dice meat and add 2 cups (500 mL) to soup; heat through. Stir in parsley; season with hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate remaining chicken for another use.

Per each of 8 servings: About 185 cal,16 g pro, 7 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 13 g carb, 2 g fibre, 45 mg chol. % RDI: 4% calcium, 11% iron, 56% vit A, 8% vit C, 11% folate.

Variation: Oriental Chicken Soup with Gingerroot and Bok Choy

Oriental Chicken Soup: Add 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped gingerroot to onions while softening. Reduce carrots and celery to 1 cup (250 mL) each, diagonally sliced. Substitute 1 cup (250 mL) diagonally sliced bok choy for the parsnips. Omit noodles. Cook soup for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Substitute slivered chicken for diced. Add 1 cup (250 mL) snow peas, 1/4 cup (50 mL) sherry and 2 tbsp (25 mL) soy sauce along with the chicken. Omit parsley and pepper sauce.