Ridiculously easy two-day chicken soup

With the weather finally turning chilly here in the Tri-State area, I've entered full-speed into soup season.  Not that I hadn't been making soups and chili before, but it seems time to mention it.  I have a delicious pot of chicken soup simmering on the stove, so I thought I'd describe how I make it.  All measurements and quantities are approximate, and to individual taste.  Modify at will.

• 1 pkg chicken thighs (at my supermarket, you can get 8 thighs for about $8)
• 2 small or 1 large onion(s)
• 1 carrot
• 1-2 stalk(s) celery
• salt to taste
• pepper corns
• parsley and other fresh herbs to taste (this is an excellent use for any fresh herbs in your fridge that are getting old)
• dried herbs, if desired
• fresh garlic, if desired

Bake chicken thighs at 325 deg. F. until skin is golden and crispy, about 35-40 minutes.  Set aside to cool.  Roughly chop the celery, carrot, onion, garlic and sweat in the bottom of your large stock pot in a little bit of olive oil.  (I don't bother to chop much, or even to peel the veg.--all of this will be discarded when you strain the soup.) Add dried herbs.  When the onions are translucent, remove from heat and set aside.  Add the other seasonings.  When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skins and throw in the pot.  Remove meat from the bones, and throw the bones in the pot.  (You don't have to get every shred of meat--leaving a little bit on the bones improves the stock.)  Keep the meat in the fridge until you are ready to use it.  Preserve the chicken fat from the baking pan and place in fridge, too.  Scrape the solids from the baking pan into the pot. Add enough water to bring pot about 3/4 full.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 90 minutes or longer.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for a half hour or more.

Place a metal colander in a large metal or glass mixing bowl.  Remove the solids from the stock and place in the colander to drain.  Discard the solids, but return the liquid that has drained from them back to the stock.  Strain the stock and place in storage containers.  Refrigerate overnight, and enjoy how this process has made your house smell.  At this point you could stop, and you'll have a good quantity of homemade chicken stock that is much better than what you buy from the store.  But you want soup, don't you?

The next day, retrieve the stock, chicken, and chicken fat from the fridge.  Place some of the solidified chicken fat in the bottom of your stock pot.  (This is why you need to refrigerate overnight.)  Chop another small onion, another stalk of celery, and another carrot into bite-size pieces, but you don't have to dice it as if you're taking a culinary school exam.  Sweat all these vegetables in the melted chicken fat.  Mince a few cloves of garlic, if desired, and add when the onions are translucent.  Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces, and add to the veg.  Add the chicken stock. If there's a jelly in the bowl you stored the chicken fat in, add that as well.  Bring this to a boil and simmer for as long as you can stand the delicious aroma before digging in.  Add a cup of rice or some dried pasta 30-45 minutes before serving, if desired.  Add some chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Other options:

• Keep bones from any chicken meal in the freezer until you have enough to make stock. Use these instead of or in addition to the chicken thighs.
• Buy legs or wings instead, using them whole in the stock.  I don't think there's enough meat on them to make picking it off useful.
• After you pick the meat off the bones, put bones back in the oven to brown a bit before adding to the pot.
• Roast veg along with the chicken and add to the stock.