Cockaleekie Soup

Ingredients

• 20 cups water
• 1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 6 large leeks, cut into 1-inch chunks, or more to taste
• 2/3 cup pearl barley
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Bring water to a boil in a large stock pot; cook chicken in the boiling water until fully cooked, about 1 hour. Remove chicken, keeping water in stock pot, and cool; discard skin, pull meat from bones, and put bones back into water for stock. Add onion, carrots, and celery to water and boil, about 1 hour.

Soak leeks in a bowl of water, about 10 minutes; drain.

Remove bones and vegetables from stock using a slotted spoon. Add chicken meat, leeks, barley, celery seed, cloves, salt, and black pepper to stock and simmer until barley is tender and flavors have blended, about 1 hour.