Cleansing Ginger-Chicken Soup

Name: Cleansing Ginger-Chicken Soup
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1 onion, sliced; 1 2 celery stalks, chopped; 1 8 ounces unpeeled scrubbed ginger, cut into 1/2"-thick slices; 1 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 10 whole black peppercorns; 1 1 3-pound whole organic chicken, cut into 7 pieces (2 breasts, 2 legs with thighs attached, 2 wings, 1 back); 1 Kosher salt; 1 Cilantro leaves (optional)

From the kitchen of Carly

Aromatic broth simmered low and long with ginger slices, peppercorns, and whole chicken. The meat shreds tender, the broth turns golden and deeply savory. Pure comfort that heals from the inside out.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

11 onion, sliced
12 celery stalks, chopped
18 ounces unpeeled scrubbed ginger, cut into 1/2"-thick slices
12 garlic cloves, crushed
110 whole black peppercorns
11 3-pound whole organic chicken, cut into 7 pieces (2 breasts, 2 legs with thighs attached, 2 wings, 1 back)
1Kosher salt
1Cilantro leaves (optional)

Instructions

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large heavy pot. Add chicken, placing breasts on top. Add 6 quarts water (preferably filtered or spring water); bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover with lid slightly ajar. Reduce heat to low; simmer until chicken breasts are just cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken breasts to a plate; let cool, then cover and chill. Continue to simmer soup, uncovered, until broth is fully flavored, about 2 1/2 hours longer. Return breasts to soup to rewarm, about 5 minutes.
Remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, coarsely shred meat; discard skin and bones. Place a fine-mesh sieve over another large pot; strain broth, discarding solids in strainer (you should have about 8 cups broth). Season with salt.
Rewarm soup. Divide chicken among bowls. Pour hot broth over, dividing equally. Garnish soup with cilantro leaves, if desired.