Jewish Chicken Soup

Description

This is a traditional recipe good for anything that ails you. It’s the absolute best when you’ve got the flu, and it’s great the second and third day. Note, these matzoh balls are ‘sinkers’. These are traditional matzoh balls, as this recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother who needed to make them as heavy as possible to feed a hungry family during lean times. Cut the matzoh meal by 1/2 cup to lighten the load.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 8 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 parsnip, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh dill weed, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 ½ cups matzo meal
  • 6 eggs
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  1. Place chicken
  2. breast-side down
  3. into a large pot; fill with enough cold water to reach about 3 inches from top of the pot. Add carrots
  4. celery
  5. parsnip
  6. onion
  7. dill
  8. salt
  9. and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat
  10. and cook
  11. partially covered for 2 hours. Do not let the soup boil. Skim any fat from the top of the soup. Add garlic
  12. partially cover
  13. and simmer for another 2 hours.
  14. Mix matzo meal
  15. eggs
  16. oil
  17. 2 teaspoons salt
  18. and 1/4 cup of broth from the soup together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until set
  19. about 20 minutes.
  20. Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Roll matzo mixture into about 16 balls. Wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them. Drop matzoh balls into boiling water
  21. cover
  22. and cook for about 35 minutes.
  23. Meanwhile
  24. remove chicken from soup; remove the bones and skin and cut or shred into pieces. Strain broth
  25. reserving vegetables. Return broth to the pot; add chicken and vegetables (or reserve for another use). Remove matzo balls from boiling water using a slotted spoon; add to soup.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 4 hrs

Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins

Servings: 8

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