Recipe: Seasonal Organic Chicken Vegetable Soup

If your diet includes poultry, this soup is a healthy way to prepare your organic free-range chicken. It is great for warming up during cold winter months, and it makes a nice, light evening meal in the summer. The recipe indicates seasonal vegetables that can be added during months in which they are available.

Ingredients:

1 whole organic free-range chicken (or equivalent weight of desired parts)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 medium celery root (winter), peeled and cubed

1 parsnip (winter), peeled and chopped

1 zucchini (summer), chopped

Kernels of 1 ear of corn (summer), cut from cob

½ cup parsley, chopped

1 bay leaf

5 black or white peppercorns, whole

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Boil 1 ½ quarts of water in a large soup pot. Thoroughly rinse chicken in cold water and place in pot. Return water to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer for 10-15 min. until all foam rises to top. Skim foam.

Combine all chopped vegetables in a bowl. Once chicken is done simmering and foam removed, carefully add vegetables to the pot. Add bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt. Increase heat until simmering again and then lower to maintain low simmer. For maximum flavor, do not boil on high.

Simmer for 30-40 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and add chopped parsley.

Remove chicken from pot with large utensils and place in a bowl. When cool enough to touch, divide chicken into desired parts or remove all meat and discard skin and bones. Return meat to pot.

Serve and enjoy!