I’ve been working on perfecting my chicken soup recipe for years, and this is
the best I’ve had anywhere.
With the chicken soup, the most important point to remember is to never
let it come to a boil (it should be just barely simmering).
| Ingredients: | ||
| 1 | Whole | 4 – 5 Lb Chicken (fowl or roaster) |
| 4 | Stalks | Celery, cut bite-sized, including leafy tops |
| 1 | Large | Whole Yellow Onion, not peeled, cut in quarters |
| 1/2 | Large | Whole Yellow Onion, peeled, chopped into 1/2″ pieces |
| 4 | Large | Whole Carrots, peeled and sliced into disks or strips |
| 3 | Cloves | Garlic, (smashed, but not into too many pieces) |
| 1 | Parsnip, not peeled, cut into chunks | |
| 1 | Bunch Parsley, stems removed, chopped medium-fine | |
| 2 | Bay Leaves | |
| Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper | ||
- Put the chicken in the pot and add water to just barely cover.
- Slowly bring to a very gentle simmer (don’t let it boil!)
and cook for 2 – 3 hours, until the chicken is very soft and almost falling
apart. Skim off any scum that forms on the surface. - Remove chicken and cool in refrgerator
- Simmer uncovered until reduced by one third, or until it tastes like chicken, and not
watery. Add salt and pepper to taste. - Remove chicken and place in refrigerator to cool.
- Add the onion halves, garlic, half of the celery, half of the carrots, all the bay leaves and return to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered until the veggies are very soft
- Strain soup, discard all the veggies and return soup to the pot.
- Add remaining vegetables and simmer until soft.
- Optional, but worth the time: Chill overnight and remove fat from surface of soup
- Serve with Matzo Balls, noodles or dumplings, and add back as much of the cooled chicken as you wish. When reheating, use medium low heat and do not boil.
Serves 6 to 8