-
1
Place the chicken in a 16-quart stockpot and add water to barely cover.
-
2
Bring just to the boiling point.
-
3
Then reduce the heat to a simmer and skim off the foam that rises to the top.
-
4
Add all the remaining ingredients (except the optional chopped dill) and only enough water to come within about two thirds of the height of the vegetables in the pot.
-
5
(Most recipes will tell you to add water to cover.
-
6
Do not do this!
-
7
You want elixir of the gods or weak tea?
-
8
As the soup cooks, the vegetables will shrink and will be covered soon enough.
-
9
Eight to 10 cups of water total is plenty for this highly flavorful brew.)
-
10
Simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours.
-
11
Remove the chicken and about half the carrots from the pot, and set them aside.
-
12
Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer into another pot or container, pressing on the vegetables to extract all the flavor.
-
13
Scrape the underside of the strainer with a rubber spatula and add the pulp to the soup.
-
14
Discard the fibrous vegetable membranes that remain in the strainer.
-
15
If youre fussy about clarity (and were not), you can strain it again through a fine tea strainer, but there goes some of the flavor.
-
16
Cover the soup and refrigerate overnight.
-
17
When you are ready to serve the soup, scoop the congealed fat off the surface and discard it.
-
18
Reheat, adding more dill if desired (and we do).
-
19
Slice the reserved carrots, add them to the soup, and serve.
