Instructions

• Place the whole chicken (3–4 pounds, giblets removed), 2 large yellow onions (peeled and halved), 1 head garlic (cut in half horizontally), ½ small jalapeño (seeded and ribs removed), 2 dried bay leaves, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ tablespoon whole peppercorns (or 1 teaspoon ground black pepper) into a large stockpot, soup pan, or Dutch oven. Add 12 cups water to cover.
• Set the pot over medium heat and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. As it heats and foam or cloudy particles rise to the surface, skim them off with a fine-mesh skimmer or large spoon and discard.
• Once the broth is at a gentle simmer (small bubbles around the edges), reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot. Maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender and falling apart.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer it to a cutting board or large bowl. Remove and discard the onions, garlic halves, bay leaves, and—if you used whole peppercorns—discard those too. (If you used ground pepper, it will remain in the broth.)
• If you prefer a clearer, less fatty broth, refrigerate the broth for a few hours or overnight so the fat rises and solidifies on the surface. Skim off and discard the hardened fat before proceeding. (This step is optional.)
• Return the broth to the stove and bring it back to a gentle simmer over medium heat if it has cooled.
• Add the vegetables to the simmering broth: 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes (scrubbed and cut into ½-inch cubes), 2 large sweet potatoes (scrubbed, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes), and 3 large carrots (peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes). Stir in 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20–30 minutes.
• While the vegetables cook, prepare the chicken meat: remove and discard the skin, remove the meat from the bones, and discard the bones. Shred or dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• Measure out 2–3 cups of the shredded chicken to add back to the soup; save any remaining cooked chicken for another use.
• Once the vegetables are tender, add the 2–3 cups of shredded chicken to the pot and simmer 2–5 minutes, just until the chicken is warmed through.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Add the juice of 1 large lemon and stir to combine.
• Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Serve hot.