Serves: 6-8

• 1 3-4 lb. whole chicken
• 1 lb. chicken thighs (bone in and skin on)
• 3 quarts chicken stock or broth
• 6 large carrots, peeled
• 2 large onions
• 5 whole black peppercorns
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb. escarole, rinsed and chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large leek, sliced, rinsed and soaked to remove sand
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Chicken stock:

Place the whole chicken and chicken stock or broth in a large stockpot and set it over medium heat. Roughly chop 2 of the carrots, 2 of the celery stalks and one of the onions and add to the pot.

Add the peppercorns, garlic, 2 sprigs of the parsley then thyme, bay leaf and enough water to just cover the chicken (if needed).

Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 40 minutes. Add chicken thighs, return to a boil and simmer another 20 minutes or until whole chicken and thighs are tender. Remove the whole chicken and thighs and set aside to cool slightly.

Strain the broth through a strainer or sieve into a large bowl or stockpot. Discard the boiled vegetables and herbs.

Soup:

Slice the remaining carrots, celery, onion and leek and set aside. Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken, cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. Chop the remaining parsley leaves and set aside.

Melt the butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion and the leek and cook until the onions are translucent – about 7 minutes. Add the reserved broth, parsley, dill, salt and pepper. Simmer the soup until vegetables are tender – about 1/2 an hour.

Stir in escarole and simmer until tender – about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken meat, heat 1-2 minutes until hot, then serve.

Goes well with:

Tossed salad

Green light foods

Proteins