Cleansing Ginger-Chicken Soup

Some of you might think these desert trail photos look the same, but really they are not.  There is so much beauty along the trails; rocks, cactus, wildlife and the sky at certain times of the day. Now you might wonder if I am attempting to compare this chicken broth to pictures of the desert; well maybe I am. This cleansing chicken broth from bon appetit January 2012 is amazing, I primarily thought that broths were all the same as I always bought boxed or canned broth. Today I realized that making this basic simple ingredient from scratch is totally worth it. It is amazing. It's the little things.....

Ingredients:

1 onion sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
8 oz. unpeeled scrubbed ginger, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cloves of garlic ( used 3)
10 whole peppercorns
1 3-lb, whole organic chicken cut into 7 pieces (2 breasts, 2 legs with thighs attached, 2 wings, 1 back
Kosher salt
Cilantro leaves (used parsley) optional

To prepare:

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large heavy pot. Add chicken, placing breasts on top. Add 6 quarts water. Preferably filtered water or spring water); bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover with a lid slightly ajar. Reduce heat to low; simmer until chicken breasts are just cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken breast to a plate; let cool, then cover and chill. Continue and simmer soup, uncovered until broth is fully flavored, about 2 1/2 hours longer. Return breasts to soup to rewarm, about 5 minutes.

Remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, coarsely shred meat; discard skin and bones. Place a fine-mesh sieve over another large pot; strain broth, discarding solids in strainer (you should have about 8 cups broth); Season with salt.

Rewarm soup. Divide chicken among bowls. Pour hot broth over, dividing equally. Garnish soup with cilantro leaves, if desired. Enjoy!