How to Make Homemade Soup Stock

There’s a reason professional chefs guard their stock recipes so closely — a great stock is the foundation of exceptional soup. After spending a decade in professional kitchens, I can tell you that the difference between a good soup and a memorable one often comes down to this single element.

Why Homemade Stock Matters

Store-bought stock has its place (we’ve all been there on busy weeknights), but homemade stock delivers something commercial products simply can’t match: depth of flavor and body. That silky, slightly gelatinous quality you get from a properly made stock coats your mouth and carries flavors in ways that water or boxed broth never will.

The collagen extracted from bones converts to gelatin during cooking, creating that characteristic “body” that makes soup feel satisfying and substantial. This is why bone-based stocks are particularly valued — they provide both flavor and texture.

The Essential Components of Great Stock

Every great stock has four basic elements:

1. The Base (Bones, Meat, or Vegetables)

For chicken stock: Use a combination of raw bones and carcasses from roasted chickens
For beef stock: Roasted beef bones (marrow bones, knuckles, and joints work best)
For vegetable stock: A combination of aromatic vegetables (no single vegetable should dominate)

2. The Aromatics

The classic aromatic combination is called mirepoix: onions, carrots, and celery in a 2:1:1 ratio. For Asian-inspired stocks, you might use ginger, scallions, and garlic instead.

3. The Herbs and Seasonings

A bouquet garni typically includes:

Fresh thyme sprigs
Bay leaves
Parsley stems (they have more flavor than the leaves)
Black peppercorns

4. The Liquid

Cold water is traditional and helps extract impurities slowly. Some cooks add a splash of white wine or apple cider vinegar — the acid helps extract minerals and collagen from bones.

Master Recipe: Classic Chicken Stock

This is the stock I make most often, and the one I recommend you master first. It’s forgiving, versatile, and absolutely transforms any soup that calls for chicken broth.

Ingredients

4 pounds chicken bones and parts (backs, necks, wings, carcasses)
2 large onions, quartered
3 carrots, roughly chopped
3 celery stalks with leaves, roughly chopped
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bunch parsley stems
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
Cold water to cover (about 4 quarts)

Method

Step 1: Prep the bones If using raw bones, you can roast them at 400°F for 30-40 minutes for a darker, more robust stock. For a lighter, cleaner stock, use them raw.

Step 2: Cold start Place bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Starting with cold water allows impurities to be released slowly and rise to the surface.

Step 3: Bring to a simmer slowly Heat over medium heat, bringing the pot to a bare simmer. This should take about an hour. Never let it boil — boiling emulsifies fats into the liquid, creating a cloudy, greasy stock.

Step 4: Skim religiously As the stock comes to temperature, foam and scum will rise to the surface. Skim this off with a ladle or fine-mesh skimmer. Most of the skimming happens in the first hour.

Step 5: Add aromatics Once you’ve done the initial skimming, add your vegetables, herbs, and seasonings. They only need 45 minutes to an hour to contribute their flavor — adding them too early can make the stock taste overcooked.

Step 6: Simmer low and slow Maintain the barest simmer (just a few bubbles breaking the surface) for 4-6 hours. The longer you go, the more body you’ll extract.

Step 7: Strain and cool Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Let cool uncovered for an hour, then refrigerate. The fat will solidify on top and can be removed easily.

Yield and Storage

This recipe yields about 3 quarts of stock. It keeps refrigerated for 5 days or frozen for 6 months. I always freeze some in ice cube trays for when I need just a splash.

Variations: Other Essential Stocks

Rich Beef Stock

Beef stock requires more time and benefits greatly from roasting the bones first. Roast 5 pounds of beef bones at 425°F for 45 minutes until deeply browned. Add tomato paste to the bones for the last 15 minutes of roasting for extra depth. Simmer for 8-12 hours.

Quick Vegetable Stock

Vegetable stock can be made in just 45 minutes to an hour. Use a variety of vegetables, but avoid:

Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower) — they become sulfurous
Beets — they turn everything pink
Starchy vegetables — they make stock cloudy

Good choices: Onions, leeks, carrots, celery, fennel, mushrooms, tomatoes, parsnips

Seafood Stock

Use shells from shrimp, lobster, or crab, plus fish bones from non-oily fish. Seafood stock should only simmer for 30-45 minutes — any longer and it becomes bitter and fishy.

Pro Tips from the Professional Kitchen

The “Remouillage” Technique

After straining your first batch of stock, you can cover the bones with fresh water and simmer again for a “second washing” (remouillage in French). This lighter stock is perfect for cooking grains or as a base for more delicate soups.

Reduce for Space

If freezer space is limited, reduce your stock by half or more to create a “demi-glace” consistency. Freeze in ice cube trays and reconstitute with water when needed. One cube of concentrated stock equals about a cup of regular stock.

The Finger Test

A well-made stock should feel slightly tacky between your fingers when cooled — that’s the gelatin doing its job. If your stock doesn’t have body, you probably need more bones or longer cooking time.

Save Your Scraps

Keep a “stock bag” in your freezer where you toss vegetable trimmings (onion skins, carrot peels, celery leaves, herb stems) and chicken bones throughout the week. When the bag is full, you have the makings of stock.

Salt at the End

Never salt your stock. You’ll be reducing it and using it as an ingredient in other dishes. Adding salt to the stock can result in an over-salted final dish.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Boiling instead of simmering — The single biggest mistake. Keep it at a bare simmer.
Not skimming — That foam contains impurities that will cloud your stock and add off-flavors.
Overcrowding the pot — Bones should be able to move freely in the liquid.
Using old vegetables — Limp, tired vegetables make limp, tired stock.
Covering the pot — Keep it uncovered so liquid can evaporate and flavors can concentrate.
Rushing the cooling — Let stock cool to room temperature before refrigerating to prevent bacterial growth in the “danger zone.”

The Bottom Line

Making stock is one of those foundational skills that pays dividends in every soup you make. Yes, it takes time — but most of that time is passive. Put the pot on during a lazy Sunday, do some laundry, read a book, and check on it occasionally.

Once you’ve tasted soup made with homemade stock, you’ll understand why it’s worth the effort. The depth of flavor, the silky body, the way it makes your whole kitchen smell like comfort — these are things no can or carton can replicate.

Start with chicken stock. Master that, and you’ll have the foundation to make virtually any soup taste better. Your future self (and your soup-loving family) will thank you.