Chicken Soup with Kale

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds, quartered
• 2 yellow onions, quartered
• 2 small leeks, white and pale-green parts, halved, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
• 4 celery stalks, quartered
• 4 carrots, quartered
• 6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Water, as needed to cover the chicken by 1 1/2 inches
• 6 cups prepared chicken stock
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
• 2 cups cooked chicken meat
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a large stockpot and add enough water to cover it by about 1 1/2 inches. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat and skim away any foam.
2. Add the onions, leeks, celery, carrots, parsley, thyme, peppercorns, and salt. Return to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook gently uncovered for about 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let it cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the skin and bones. Reserve 2 cups of meat for the soup and refrigerate the remaining meat for another meal.
4. Return the skin and bones to the stockpot. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour more, then strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing gently on the solids. Discard the solids.
5. Combine 6 cups of the stock and the potatoes in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
6. Add the kale and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the reserved chicken and heat through for about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and black pepper, and serve.