fill an 8 quart pot about 2/3 of water and add some aromatics - bay leaf, onion, clove, garlic, parsley, cilantro, ginger - choose your favorites. cover and bring to a boil. meanwhile, tend to your chicken. if it is in the refrigerator, take it out and unwrap it. if the giblets are inside the bird, remove them. rinse the cavity and the outside of the bird, then drain and pat dry.
when the pot has come to a boil, i add a tablespoon or so of kosher salt. the water won't taste salty, but i like to add some anyway. take the chicken by the legs and slowly lower it into the water, letting it fill the cavity, until it is completely submerged. the water temperature will stop boiling. wait for the water to start boiling again, then cover and turn off the flame. now find something else to do for a while.
when the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the lid off the pot and tip the legs of the chicken up so you can grab hold of them. slowly left the bird from the pot, letting it drain back into the poaching liquid. remove the meat from the bones and reserve. put the bones back into the poaching liquid and simmer for a stock. you may add more aromatics to the pot, if you wish. simmer for another hour or two. afterward, i like to chill down the stock so i can easily remove the chicken fat rendered.
now for the fun part ... time for soup!
1/2 chopped onion
1 glove garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
1 yukon potato, peeled and diced
1-2 carrots, peeled and diced
3-4 leaves chopped chard
3/4 cup cauliflower, sliced
1 zucchini, diced
1/2 cup cooked chicken, diced or shredded
optional ingredients:
tomato sauce to taste or 1-2 tbsp. tomato paste
chick peas, cooked, rinsed and drained
fresh green beans
sprouted tofu
whatever else you like
on a medium flame, heat a pan with a bit of olive oil and saute the onion until soft. add the minced garlic and saute another minute or two, taking care not to burn the garlic. add the potato and carrots and continue to saute, then add a ladle or two of chicken stock. let that cook down until the vegetables are soft, then add the chopped chard, cauliflower and zucchini. if the soup has gotten too thick, add more stock to get the proper consistency. add a 1/2 cup or so of the chicken you reserved earlier and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
feel free to add your own favorite vegetables, meat or other proteins. if you would like to add shell, elbow macaroni or egg noodles, i recommend cooking it separately and then adding it to the pot at the end.
