Jewish Chicken Soup Recipes

CLASSIC JEWISH 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.

CLASSIC JEWISH CHICKEN SOUP

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.

JEWISH CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Put 1-2 carrots, 1-2 stalks of celery, 1-2 onions, a few sprigs of parsley, 1-2 bay leaves, and the chicken (plus giblets) in a large pot. The vegetables should be clean but left whole, except if required to fit them into the pot, with the onion skin removed. If you used a whole chicken, remove any giblets inside the body cavity. If the giblets are in a small bag, remove them before adding to the pot.
• Fill the pot with water, leaving 1-2 inches at the top so the soup won't bubble over. Add the teaspoon of salt and a few turns of ground pepper.
• Partially cover the pot and bring the water to a low boil. To the extent that foam develops on the soup, take it off the top with a spoon and discard it. I do that several times in the first 20-30 minutes after the soup has come to a low boil. This foam contains fat, so do not clog your sink drain by pouring it down there. Instead, put it in a disposable container or empty can in your freezer, and then throw it out.
• Adjust the heat if necessary to keep the soup at a simmer and continue simmering, with the pot partially covered, for 2-3 hours. The soup starts out with no color (it's just a bunch of stuff floating in water) and gets yellower and more delicious as it simmers. The soup is done when it develops a light golden color and tastes rich and chicken-y.
• If you like the soup clear, ladle it into a strainer or colander lined with a doubled-over piece of cheesecloth. Some folks cut up the chicken and mash the vegetables that have cooked for hours and return them to the soup, but I don't. In any event, take them out, either cut/mash them and return them to the broth or set them aside.
• Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste if necessary. At this point, you can refrigerate or freeze the soup, or serve it.
• See note about skimming off the fat after refrigerating the soup.
• To serve, bring the soup back to a boil. If you're adding raw chicken in small pieces, add those pieces now. Let them cook at a low boil for about 3-4 minutes, then add small pieces of carrot, celery and any other vegetable bits that you would like in your soup, along with egg noodles any type of tiny pasta that will cook in about 5 minutes or cooked rice. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, add any garnish (I use chopped parsley or fresh dill) and serve.

JEWISH CHICKEN SOUP

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.

JEWISH CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• The day before you want to serve the soup, put the whole chicken and any extra bones in your largest lidded pan.
• Halve the onions through the roots (leaving the skins on - they will add colour) and add to the pan with the remaining ingredients plus 2 tsp of salt. Add enough cold water to cover.
• Bring the soup to a boil over a high heat, skimming off (and discarding) any foam with a big metal spoon. As soon as the water boils, turn the heat down to a very low simmer. Partially cover the pan and leave to cook gently for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the meat is falling off the bones.
• Remove the chicken from the pot but continue to simmer the broth. Strip the meat from the bones, tearing some of the chicken into pieces to serve in the soup - save the rest to use in salads, sandwiches or pies.
• Return the bones and cartilage to the pot and simmer gently for a further 1 hour-1 hour 30 minutes. Strain the soup into a large container or pan, discarding the vegetables and bones. Leave to cool completely then refrigerate overnight.
• By morning, the fat will have risen to the surface - skim it off and refrigerate it. It can be used for fabulous roast potatoes and to make the matzo balls.
• To make the matzo balls, use electric beaters to whisk the eggs with ½ tsp of salt and a few grinds of pepper until thick and creamy. Beat in the schmaltz - the mixture should now be light and foamy.
• Mix the 60ml of chicken soup and matzo meal, and fold into the egg mixture - it will be very sloppy. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to hydrate the matzo meal and firm it up enough to be easy to handle.
• Scoop tennis-table-ball-sized amounts from the mixture and, with moistened hands, gently roll into balls. Put them on a plate.
• Fill a large, shallow pan with water and add the chicken soup powder. Bring the water to a boil and gently lower in the matzo balls. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes - they will puff up nicely.
• In the meantime, check the soup for seasoning - it may need more salt - add some of the reserved chicken to the pot, and heat it up.
• When the matzo balls are ready, carefully remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and place two or three in each bowl. Add the hot chicken and soup. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley leaves.