Gather chicken bones or a whole chicken, water, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper
Rinse the chicken or bones
Place the chicken or bones in a large pot
Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients
Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat
Reduce the heat to low
Skim off any foam that rises to the surface
Add salt and pepper
Simmer gently for 1 to 3 hours
Remove the chicken or bones from the pot
Strain the broth through a fine sieve
Let the broth cool
Store in the refrigerator or freezer