Cock-a-Leekie Soup

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs), or 2 lbs bone-in thighs and drumsticks
• 8 cups water
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 large leeks, white and light green parts, sliced into rounds
• 1/3 cup pitted prunes, halved
• 1/4 cup long-grain rice
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Before you cook

• Quarter the onion and roughly chop the carrots and celery for the stock.
• Trim, halve lengthwise, and slice the leeks into rounds, rinsing well to remove any grit.

Steps

1. Place the chicken in a large pot with the water, onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaves.
2. Bring to a boil, then skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
3. Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook for 1 hour until the chicken is fully cooked.
4. Lift the chicken out of the pot and set it aside to cool slightly.
5. Strain the stock through a sieve into a clean pot, discarding the spent vegetables.
6. Once cool enough to handle, pull the chicken meat from the bones in bite-sized pieces, discarding the skin and bones.
7. Bring the strained stock back to a simmer.
8. Add the sliced leeks and rice to the pot.
9. Simmer for 20 minutes until the leeks are tender and the rice is cooked.
10. Stir in the prunes and the shredded chicken meat.
11. Simmer for 5 more minutes to warm everything through and let the prunes soften slightly.
12. Season with salt and pepper, scatter the parsley over the top, and serve hot.