Using commercial stock cubes and fresh chicken, Cheat's Chicken Broth is perfect for when you or someone in your house is feeling poorly and needs something easily digestible but nourishing. Make it more filling by adding cooked pasta, rice or other grains.
Put the stock cubes in a medium-large saucepan and pour the boiling water in.
Stir to dissolve the stock cubes.
Cut the onion, carrot and celery into quarters (no need to skin or peel) and put them in the stock along with the garlic, the peppercorns plus the optional parsley stalks and/or spices if using.
If you've used low salt stock cubes then add a pinch of salt too.
Put the saucepan over a high heat, give everything a stir then add the chicken breast.
Put a lid on and bring to the boil.
Immediately turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
Take out the chicken breast and cut into it to check it's fully cooked all the way through. If not, return to the pan and simmer a little longer.
Put the fully cooked chicken on a board.
Put a fine sieve over a jug or bowl and carefully tip the contents of the saucepan into it.
Push down on the contents of the sieve with a spoon, stirring it up now and then, so that all of the broth is released into the jug or bowl.
Discard the contents of the sieve and rinse out the saucepan.
Pour the broth back into the saucepan. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
Remove and discard the chicken skin then chop the meat into small pieces.
Add the chicken meat to the broth in the saucepan.
Reheat with the optional cooked pasta, rice etc. if using.