Classic Jewish Chicken Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Place the chicken into a large pot with the breast side down. Fill with enough cold water to reach about 3 inches from the top of the pot. Add the onion, carrot, parsnip, celery and dill. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, partially covered for 2 hours. Do not let the soup boil. Skim any fat from the top of the soup, and add the garlic cloves. Partially cover, and simmer for another 2 hours for best flavor.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the matzo meal, eggs, oil, salt, and 1/4 cup of the broth from the chicken soup. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to set up.
• Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Roll the matzo mixture into about 16 balls. Wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them. Drop the balls into boiling water, cover, and cook for about 35 minutes.
• While the matzo balls are cooking, strain the broth from the chicken soup. Return the broth to the pot. Remove the bones and skin from the chicken and cut into pieces. Return to the soup, or leave the soup as a broth, and reserve the chicken for other uses. Remove the matzo balls from the water, and serve in the hot chicken soup.

Steps:

• Bring water to boil, add chicken, return to boil (covered).
• Add all vegetables except for parsley & dill and allow to cook on medium to low heat, uncovered, until reduced by about half (2-3 hours). You may skim during the cooking or refrigerate the finished soup and remove the solidified fat.
• Add parsley & dill and cook for 20 minutes, then remove the herbs and discard.
• Season soup with salt & pepper or boullion powder to taste. If soup is too strong, add water. If it is too weak let it boil out longer (uncovered).
• Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Remove the chicken and separate out the meat into bite sized pieces (shreds). Return the chicken pieces to the pot. Serve immediately or freeze.

Steps:

• Put chicken in a large pot with the chopped onions. Pour enough water into the pot to cover; add dill, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer for 45 minutes.
• Skim and discard any foam from the top of the simmering liquid. Remove chicken to a cutting board. Remove as much meat from the chicken bones as possible; cut into chunks.
• Return the liquid to a boil. Add carrots, potatoes, leeks, celery, kohlrabi, and parsnips to the boiling liquid. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir cooked chicken chunks and chicken bouillon into the mixture. Season again with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is hot, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Cut up your chicken into pieces (thighs, legs, breasts, etc) and place in a large stock pot.
• Fill with cold water to cover and put on high heat as you assemble the rest of the ingredients.
• Cut up all of your veggies. You can do this any way you like, but I like to leave these in large pieces so they don't get too mushy during the long cooking time.
• You can tie your dill and parsley together if you like.
• Put all the veggies and herbs into the pot.
• Add extra water if needed.
• Bring to a boil, and then let simmer.
• Simmer for 2-4 hours*.
• *The cook time is largely up to you. I like to cook mine for many hours to get all of the flavors out of the chicken, but really, once the chicken is cooked through, you can take it off the fire.
• If you prefer to have smaller pieces of carrots, potatoes, or celery in your soup, dice as much as you want and put it into the pot 30-40 minutes before it's done.
• ***TIP: There will be A LOT of fat on the top of this soup from the chicken skin. Traditionally, you would cook this the day before, refrigerate over night, and then remove the hardened fat layer. Easy as pie. But, if you want it the same day, you will have to skim the fat as the cooking progresses. So watch the soup over the 2-4 hours of cooking and skim as you go.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. (you will need a lot of salt. Don't fret. Start off with a teaspoon. Taste. Add another pinch. Taste. Add. And so on until you reach desired flavor.
• Take all the chicken out of the pot and remove the meat from the bones and skin. Discard the bones and skin. You can replace the meat into the pot or leave it on the side for people to put into their individual bowls.
• Make egg noodles, rice, or dumplings to accompany.
• Eat and enjoy.

Steps:

• In 12-quart heavy pot, combine chicken and enough water to cover, about 8 quarts. Bring to boil, skimming froth. Add onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, sweet potato, and dill, and simmer, partially covered, 3 hours.
• Pour stock through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl, reserving chicken and discarding remaining solids. Refrigerate stock, covered, until completely cool, then skim fat from surface. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones, shred meat, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• In 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, bring stock to a boil. Add salt, pepper, and noodles. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 4 minutes. Add carrots and celery, and continue simmering until noodles are tender, about 4 minutes. Add shredded chicken and simmer until heated through. Serve hot.