Lebanese Chicken Soup

• For the chicken and broth:
  • 1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs)
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 10 peppercorns
  • 1 large clove garlic, cracked
  • 1/2 onion, cut into 2 pieces
  • 1 large carrot, cut in half
  • 1 stalk celery, cut in half
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
• 1 (8 oz) can Hunts tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon, more to taste
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup vermicelli (or white rice)

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1. Boil chicken until the leg pulls easily away, about 1 hour (or 20 minutes in a stovetop pressure cooker).
2. Remove the chicken and shred. Strain the broth.
3. Return the broth to the pot; add tomato sauce and rice or vermicelli; simmer 10 minutes. Add shredded chicken and cook until heated through.
4. Add parsley and lemon juice.