Everyone loves chicken soup, but if you’ve never tried making it with a pasture-raised chicken, you are really in for a treat! This recipe is very flexible, so feel free to add or subtract ingredients according to your culinary creativity.

1 large or 2 small pasture-raised whole chickens, thawed and rinsed
4-6 chicken feet, rinsed
4 Carrots, chopped
4 Ribs of celery, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
4-6 Potatoes (skip these if you plan to use noodles, dumplings, or rice), cubed
2 Small summer squashes, chopped
1 Bay leaf
2 Garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt
Black pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped

Place all ingredients, except potatoes and parsley, in a 2-quart stock pot and cover with cool water. The contents of the pot should be fairly dense (i.e. not mostly water). Add more veggies if necessary. Bring to a boil over medium-high and skim off any foam that rises. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

Remove bay leaf, whole chicken and feet from liquid and allow to cool enough to handle. Debone chicken, chopping meat and placing it back into the liquid. Reserve bones and feet for making stock if desired.

Adjust seasonings, return to boil, and add potatoes and parsley (or dumplings, noodles, etc, as desired). Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.