Jewish Chicken Soup

Jewish Chicken Soup

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
  • 10 carrots (peeled and sliced)
  • 1 parsnip (chopped)
  • 4 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 2 stalks celery (chopped)
  • 1 bunch freshly chopped dill weed
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 1/2 cups matzo meal
  • 6 large eggs
  • 8 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  1. Place chicken into a large pot with the breast side down and fill with enough cold water to reach about 3 inches from the top of the pot.
  2. Add onion, carrot, parsnip, celery and dill.
  3. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, partially covered for 2 – 2 1/2 hours.
  4. Do not let soup boil.
  5. Skim fat from top of the soup, and add garlic cloves.
  6. Partially cover, and simmer again for another 2 hours.
  7. Find a medium sized bowl and mix matzo meal, eggs, extra virgin olive oil, salt and roughly 1/4 cup of broth from the chicken soup stock.
  8. Place in refrigerator for 20-25 minutes to set.
  9. In a separate pot of water, boil the water.
  10. The matzo mixture will make 16 balls after being rolled.  Make sure your hands are damp to keep the dough from sticking.
  11. Place balls into the boiling water.
  12. Cover and cook for 35-40 minutes.
  13. As matzo balls cook, strain broth from the chicken soup.
  14. Return broth back to the pot and remove all bones and skin from chicken.
  15. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
  16. Put chicken back into broth.
  17. Remove matzo balls from the other pot and add to bowls of the hot chicken soup.