Chicken Soup with Kale and Fennel
- 4 pound chicken
- 1 large onion, skin on, sliced in half
- 2 tablespoons peppercorns
- 5 medium carrots, 2 cut in half and 3 peeled and chopped to bite size pieces
- 3 medium ribs celery, 1 cut in half and 2 chopped to bite size pieces
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped to bite size pieces
- 1 bulb fennel, finely chopped
- 2 medium leeks, tough green leaves trimmed, white and tender green split, rinsed and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch kale, touch stems removed and leaves chopped to bite size pieces
Rinse chicken, pat dry and place in a large soup pot. Fill pot with enough cold water to cover chicken by 2 inches. Add onion, carrot halves, whole celery rib and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about an hour. Remove from heat and transfer chicken to a bowl. Strain broth, discard solids and return liquid to pot. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
Remove skin from chicken and shred meat into bite size pieces. Return chicken to strained broth. Add parsnips, chopped carrots and celery, leeks and fennel seeds. Season well with salt and pepper and simmer until just vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in kale and simmer until soft, about another 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper. Serve piping hot.