1 large range free chicken
1 cup of plain almond milk
1 pound of fresh collard greens
1 cup of dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 acorn squash
1 butternut squash
2 zucchini squash
2 crooked neck yellow squash
2 small or one large yam or sweet potato
1 large onion
1 fennel bunch (bulb and stem) or one large celery bunch or 3 large parsnips
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
salt, to taste

Boil chicken in extra large soup pot with lid (three gallon pot or larger) in one gallon of water and salt to taste. Add one cup of dried chickpeas and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove chicken from broth and set aside. Skim fat off the top of the broth and discard. Boil broth and chickpeas for forty-five minutes. Meanwhile, remove bones and skin from chicken and discard. Cut chicken into large one inch chunks and cut all vegetables into one inch cubes or pieces.

After broth and chickpeas boil for forty-five minutes, reduce to simmer (low boil) and thicken the broth by lightly mashing some of the chickpeas against the bottom of the pot. Add chicken chunks back in the broth along with water chestnuts, acorn and butternut squash, fennel bunch (or substitute) and yam chunks. Stir well, cover and simmer forty-five minutes.

Add zucchini and crooked neck yellow squash, onion, almond milk and spices and continue to simmer for another half hour.

Serve with fresh bread of choice or in bread bowls.

Variation Suggestion: Great for leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Turkey bones may be boiled to make broth or just use a canned chicken broth.

Please Note: Be mindful of subtle change of flavor as to whether you use fennel, celery or parsnips as called for in the recipe.

Submitted by: R. Wright