Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
1         whole         chicken or chicken soup bones (fresh or frozen)
4                       celery stalks (cut off the bottom quarter, rinse and toss in the rest, leaves and all)
1/2       lb.           sliced carrots
1                       onion, roughly chopped
2 to 3                  parsley roots, peeled and sliced
2 to 3                  parsnips, peeled and sliced
6                       peppercorns
                        Salt
                        Parsley, fresh or dried (optional)

Preparation:

1. If the chicken or bones are fresh, place them in a soup pot with 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and skim the foam off the top. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and let simmer for 3 hours.

2. If working with frozen chicken or bones, add all the ingredients at once. In both cases, strain the soup as soon as it's cool enough to handle. Reserve the chicken, if desired. When the broth is completely cool, skim off the fat and store until ready to eat. Freezes well. Makes 2 1/2 quarts.