Mexican Chicken Party Soup

Mexican Chicken Party Soup

Mexican Soup

Place a good, naturally raised, properly fed chicken (or an old hen or rooster) in a large vapor seal soup pot or Dutch oven with 2 carrots, 2 onions and several stalks of celery and their leaves, 4 chicken feet (if you can get them. This adds gelatin and protein and flavor to the broth), plus a bay leaf and any herbs you enjoy in one quart of water, or more, as needed. Gently simmer with vapor seal lid in place until chicken is tender (somewhere between 40 minutes and an hour and 15 minutes (depending on the age and toughness of your bird).

Remove vegetables and discard (their value has gone into the liquid). Place your chicken on a platter deep enough to catch additional juices as you carve it. Save all juices in the pot and from the carving platter.

To your stock and broth from the stewed chicken, add more vegetables and diced onion and celery. Warm to a simmer (not a boil). Add 1 cup chicken, slivered, and ladle into bowls.

Each person takes his bowl and then ads from small serving bowls:

* Finely shredded raw cabbage

* Finely sliced scallions

* Finely diced fresh tomatoes

* Finely sliced radishes

* Alfalfa and/or other sprouts

* Grated Monterey jack cheese (raw if you can get it)

* Salsa

Enjoy!