Grandma's Chicken Soup

Passover begins soon, and Jewish homes around the world will be enjoying their favorite chicken soup. You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy a good bowl of this golden elixor. My children love my mother-in-law’s chicken soup so thank goodness she shared her recipe with me.

6 to 7 pounds whole kosher chickens cut into pieces

2 1/2 quarts of water

3 carrots, peeled and cut into threes

2 celery sticks, cut into threes

1 parsnip, peeled and cut into threes

3 whole garlic cloves

2 whole onion

8 sprigs of parsley

4 sprigs of dill

Cut the chicken into pieces. Place all the pieces in a large pot. Add the water and bring the water and the chicken to a full boil. Skim the film from the top. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add carrots, celery, parsnips, onion, and garlic. Simmer for at least one hour then add the parsley and dill and simmer again (I like to tie them together with kitchen string go so that it is easier to remove later) for one more hour. Remove the chicken and the vegetables putting them in separate bowls. Cool everything overnight. Shred the chicken and freeze it in 2 cup increments in plastic bags.

Remove the congealed fat on the top of the soup. For a clearer soup, strain the broth through cheesecloth. Before serving, add the carrots parsnips and onions back into the broth and heat through. If I feel that the broth doesn’t have the chicken taste I am hoping for, I add a little chicken bullion. I use the Better Than Bullion brand. Add a little at a time making sure not to overdo it.

Note: I serve the soup with matzah balls made by following the instructions on a box of matzah meal. I do not serve the soup with the chicken in it. Instead, I use it for future meals (I will post recipes using the chicken over the next few weeks.)

#soup #chicken #matzah #kosher