Classic chicken soup
INGREDIENTS
1 whole chicken, about 3 lbs, cut into sections + Some Chicken Feet (if you can get your hands on some)
1 onion
4 medium carrots
4 stalks celery
1 bunch dill, divided (optional)
1 bunch parsley, divided
2-3 cloves garlic
10 whole peppercorns
3 qt water (or enough to just cover chicken)
Apple Cider Vinegar (just a splash)
1 Tbsp healthy fat (ghee, tallow, olive oil or avocado oil)
2 medium leeks, sliced, about 2 cups
2 Tbsp salt, plus more in the late cooking process
DIRECTIONS
Add chicken pieces, onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, half of dill and parsley bunches, garlic, peppercorns, and water to a large pot. (enough water to just cover the chicken)
Bring to a light boil, lower temperature immediately, and simmer for 45 minutes. Skim as needed. (Don’t let it come to a boil) It should be like a nice, good rolling simmer/soft boil where you just see bubbles popping here and there. (or else will make stock cloudy)
After 45 minutes, carefully strain into a large bowl or another pot, set chicken aside, and discard the used vegetables and herbs.
Remove skin from chicken, shred meat off the bones, then add the meat to a bowl with the chicken broth liquid. Set aside.
If you desire to have longer cooking time with bones, just add the bones & stock back into the pot & simmer for a few hours longer. Strain out bones carefully again, once ready to finish the next steps for classic chicken soup.
Using the same pot on medium heat, add some cooking fat, and sauté remaining celery, carrots, leeks, and a nice big pinch of sea salt.
Saute for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.
Add the Chicken Broth and the Shredded Chicken. Bring heat up to a boiling point, then immediately turn down to simmer and cook until vegetables are tender.
Make sure to taste one more time & add more salt, if needed.
Serve in bowls & Garnish if desired, with fresh herbs.
*A note on Chicken Feet: Chicken feet make a rich, flavorful and nutritious broth, so if you can get your hands on some, it’s a nice addition. They are very nourishing for your gut, joints and bones.
The feet are the most gelatinous part of the chicken, and they contain a very large amount of collagen. This collagen creates an incredibly gelatinous broth – after it cools in the fridge it turns into jelly that can be scooped with a spoon. Once it is heated you can use it like any other bone broth. Just make sure you have rinsed the feet incredibly well before using.
