Parsley Soup with Sorrel and Kale

Ingredients

For the Chicken Stock:
• 1 whole raw chicken (alternately, if you have a chicken skeleton or chicken bones on hand, you can use those in a pinch)
• 2 onions, quartered
• 5 carrots, halved
• 5 celery stalks, halved
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 bunch fresh chives
• 1 tbsp. black pepper corns
• 12 cups water
For the Soup:
• 10 cups chicken stock
• 1 lb. small pasta, such as tubetini
• 1 cup of fresh Italian parsley, minced
• 1 cup of fresh sorrel, minced
• 2 cups fresh kale, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the stock:
1. Place chicken or chicken bones in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic (you don't even need to peel it!), bay leaves, chives, black pepper corns, and water.
2. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to low and let simmer for two hours.
3. Strain broth through a fine mesh sieve and discard residual vegetables. If you started with a fresh, raw chicken, chicken meat can be saved and used for other purposes.
Prepare the soup:
4. In a large pot or dutch oven, bring 10 cups of chicken stock to a rolling boil.
5. Add pasta and cook until tender.
6. Add parsley, sorrel, kale, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until wilted.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste (don't be shy!).
8. Serve in large bowls with fresh Parmesan. A piece of garlic bread on the side is never a bad idea!