Chicken, veggies and kale soup

You will need:

7 quart stock pot and lid
Oil (coconut or olive): 2 tablespoons
Chicken stock: 12 cups approximately
Chicken: (from stock)
Kale: one bunch (the leaves should be crisp)
Leek: one (the stalk should be firm and the leaves crisp)
Squash: two medium sized
Potatoes: two medium sized (typically I use reds)
Carrots: two to three
Salt: 1 tablespoon
Pepper: 1 tablespoon

To make:

Use the basic chicken stock recipe making the following additions:

• Kale stems and bits: after rinsing and gently straining or drying each leaf remove the main leaf from the large stem of each kale branch.  Save the leaves for prepping later.  Add the stems and any less than optimal leaves to the stock when you add the other veggies.
• Leek tips and outer layers: I typically cut approximately 3-4 cm from the base and tips of the leek and add to the stock.  I then run a knife the length of the leek so that you can pull the separate layers apart (this needs to be done regardless in order to rinse, as odds of sand being in there somewhere are high).  Take the rinsed outer layer or two and add to the stock, saving the rest to prep for the soup.
• Squash: cut 3-4 cm off of the ends of the rinsed squash for the stock.  The remaining squash will be prepped for the soup.

Veggie prep:

• Kale: After removing the stems, I roll a few leaves together.  Slice the kale "cigar" into 2-3 mm sections then cross cut once or twice.  Effectively you don't want long ribbons, you want smaller cross sections.
• Leek: Ensure that you have rinsed the entire leek to remove sand.  Take one half and place the cut side down.  Slice the leek into 1-2 mm sections and repeat with the other side.
• Squash: Cube into 2-3 cm pieces.
• Potatoes: Cube into 2-3 cm pieces.
• Carrots: Depending on the size (girth) of the carrot, you want them about the same size as the squash and carrots.

Assembly and cooking:

• Heat the pot over medium heat.  Add the oil to coat the base.
• Add the leeks, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Stir once or twice.
• Add the squash, potatoes and carrots.
• Add the stock, stir and bring to a simmer.
• Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add the chicken and kale, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

After turing the heat off, let the soup rest for about thirty minutes before serving.  

Enjoy and cheers