Wash the Napa cabbage, yellow onions, carrots, garlic, and Honeycrisp apple thoroughly.

Cut 3/4 head Napa cabbage into large pieces and slice the 2 yellow onions.

Cut the 2 carrots and 1 Honeycrisp apple into large chunks.

Peel the 5 garlic cloves and lightly crush them.

Layer the Napa cabbage, yellow onion, carrot, garlic, and Honeycrisp apple in a large heavy pot.

Nestle the whole chicken on top of the vegetable layer and season it generously with salt and black pepper.

Pour 2 cups water into the bottom of the pot as a safeguard against scorching.

Cover the pot and cook over the lowest stovetop heat for about 120 minutes.

Check the pot occasionally and add a little more water only if the vegetables have not released enough liquid.

Cook until the chicken meat is fall-apart tender and the vegetables are soft and jammy.

Taste the broth and adjust the salt and black pepper if needed.

Ladle the chicken, vegetables, and rich broth into bowls and serve hot.