Bonnie: When the boys were growing up, nearly every week I had a pot on the stove to make stock from whole chickens purchased on sale and veggie trimmings that I stockpiled in the freezer. We were on a very tight budget, so I made most everything from scratch. I’d freeze the chicken stock in 1 and 2 cup portions to use as I needed.

Fast forward a decade or two, and convenience now trumps—especially since Swanson introduced their Organic Chicken Broth, basically stock that’s been cooked with vegetables, herbs and seasonings. Swanson’s is made from free-range chickens, is fat free and contains less sodium than regular chicken broth. I like all that.

Broth is an ideal base for soups, so I’ve included a few recipes for you, adapted from my Express Lane CookingA_ELC_R_site.jpg recipes. Each one uses a 32-ounce container, preferably Swanson Organic Chicken Broth.

Bangkok Chicken & Rice Soup
Toss 3/4-pound chicken breasts cut into strips with 2 teaspoons curry powder. In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the 32-ounce container chicken broth, 12- to 14-ounce can lite coconut milk, 3/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground or 1 chunk of crushed fresh ginger and 1 teaspoon lime zest. Bring to a boil, stir in 3/4 cup regular or jasmine rice, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chicken, 3 tablespoons soy or 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro and 1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh basil. Simmer 4 to 5 minutes until chicken is cooked. Add 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro to soup. Serve. Makes 4 servings.

Pumpkin Soup with Ravioli
In a large saucepan combine a 15- to 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin, 32-ounce container broth, some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, add a 9- to 10-ounce package refrigerated cheese ravioli, and cook for about 7 minutes until ravioli are tender. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter. Ladle soup into bowls and, if desired, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with nutmeg. Makes 4 servings.

Express Mulligatawny Soup
Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add 1/2 cup each diced red bell pepper, onion and celery, 1 minced clove garlic and 2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder; cook until vegetables soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add a 32-ounce container chicken broth, 2 cups diced chicken, 1 peeled, seeded and chopped Granny Smith apple, and 1/2 cup rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, until rice is tender. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve, if desired, garnished with a chopped fresh tomato. Makes 4 servings.

Definition: Most folks use stock and broth interchangeably, but they are different and I’d like to help set the record straight. I thought where else to get an accurate distinction between the two but at Campbell’s Soup Company. I contacted Lucinda (Cindy) Ayers, Vice President of Campbell’s Kitchen to clarify the difference for you.

Cindy explained, “Broth is a finished entity, ready to use as is, full flavored and fully seasoned. As such, we recommend using it for such things as soups, or as a liquid for side dishes like rice, noodles, potatoes, steamed vegetables, etc.

Stock is less finished, more customizable to your desired end dish. It is richer and darker, but less seasoned and therefore lower in sodium, which makes it a great foundation for such foods as sauces and gravies.”

New product preview: While researching this, I learned that this fall Campbell’s will be introducing a prepared stock in two flavors: beef and chicken.

No details yet, but when I do have them I’ll be sure to share them with you!

Storage note: According to the folks at Campbell’s (makers of Swanson Organic Broth), once opened, the broth should only be kept for up to two-weeks in the refrigerator.

Bryan: I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating; great food comes from great ingredients (and naturally, bad ingredients beget bad food). Unsung heroes are important and chicken stock is the lonely workhorse of any kitchen; that trusty plow mule pulling meals along without star-power or even any casual recognition to speak of. Though we will rarely hear accolades heaped upon stock, the foundation of any soup or sauce, we will often hear about it when “it’s too salty” or “ugh, bland”.

Truly, the best conversation about stock at the dinner table is no conversation at all. Stock should be unnoticed, allowing the recognizable stars of the meal to play their role uncompromised by a salty or lackluster set. Swanson’s Organic Broth is one of those perfect sets. Don’t get me wrong, homemade stock will always reign supreme, but who has time for that? You have to plan way ahead of time and then have enough space in the freezer to accommodate it. Never gonna happen in my house. A few cartons of Swanson’s on hand and you’re ready for any meal in style, and without all the work. Rice, couscous, soups and sauces are richer with this great ingredient; a quality stock without hours of effort. This should be the last conversation you have about stock…

Eric: As I’ve also mentioned in past writings, to me, cooking is a form of art, and just like da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Michelangelo’s David, great recipes, and timeless dishes, deserve a place in the pages of history. The “simple meal” is an underrated staple of our diet, and I for one am a fan of the simple soup. The first question that came to mind when confronted with writing this review was “What is the difference between broth and stock?” My brother refers to Swanson’s Chicken Broth as a stock, a foundation of any soup or sauce, but really this product is something different.

“It could be said that broth occupies an intermediate position between stock and soup. A broth (e.g. chicken broth) can be eaten as is, whereas a stock (e.g. chicken stock) would normally be consumed only as an ingredient in something more complex.” – Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson

Swanson’s Chicken Broth has graced the fridge of my mother’s house (as well as stockpiled the corner of our garage) and has always been a welcome sight. It acts as the perfect canvas for a delicious soup and can also be used for the preparation of any sauce. There are many types of these broths available, but none of them stand up to the taste of Swanson’s with its prepared combination of basic ingredients. It might be a simple household staple, but such a product need not be creative.

“Creativity varies inversely with the number of cooks involved in the broth” – Bernice Fitz-Gibbon

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