Sicilian Chicken Soup

Ingredients

Base

• 1 - Whole Chicken (about 4½ Lbs), giblets removed
• 1 - Large Yellow Onion, finely chopped
• 3 - Celery Ribs, cut into ¼-inch dice
• 3 - Carrots, cut into ¼-inch dice
• 3 - Green Bell Peppers, cored and cut into ¼-inch dice
• 3 - Medium Baking Potatoes (such as russet), peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 Can (14.5 Ounces) - Diced Tomatoes in Juice
• ½ Cup - Chopped Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley
• 4 - Garlic Cloves, chopped
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Pasta

• 1 Cup - Ditalini Pasta

Directions

Preparation

1. Remove giblets from the whole chicken.
2. Finely chop the yellow onion and set it aside.
3. Dice the celery ribs, carrots, green bell peppers, and peeled potatoes into ¼-inch to ½-inch pieces.
4. Chop the fresh flat-leaf parsley.
5. Peel and chop the garlic cloves.

Soup

1. Place the whole chicken, chopped onion, diced celery, diced carrots, diced green bell peppers, diced potatoes, and canned diced tomatoes with their juices in a large soup pot.
2. Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients by 1 inch.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
4. Add the chopped parsley, chopped garlic, 1 Tbsp of kosher salt, and 1 Tsp of freshly ground black pepper to the pot.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for about 2 hours or until the chicken is falling off the bone.

Chicken and Pasta

1. Carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl and let it cool for about 20 minutes.
2. While the chicken is cooling, keep the soup pot simmering.
3. Once the chicken is cooled, remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Tear the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
4. Cook the ditalini pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta.

Final Assembly

1. Mash some of the potatoes in the pot to lightly thicken the broth.
2. Add the torn chicken pieces and cooked ditalini pasta to the pot.
3. Season the soup with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.