Classic Jewish Chicken Soup
Author:
Serves: 10 to 12
They don’t call this soup Jewish Penicillin for nothing! One bowl of this hot and steamy “liquid gold” will help chase your aches, pains and sniffles away! The process is a little bit long, but oh so worth the effort!
Ingredients
- (1) 5 to 6 pound whole fryer chicken
- Water to cover
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
- Handful of fresh parsley and dill sprigs
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Additional fresh chopped parsley and dill
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a large stockpot (at least 8 quarts): add cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil, skim off and discard any foam that rises to the top. Add all the veggies as well as the parsley and dill sprigs; return to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer; cover. Do not let boil. Let soup cook until the whole house smells heavenly and the chicken falls off the bone when gently prodded. (about 5 to 6 hours)
- Strain the soup into another large pot, discarding the bones, skin, onion and celery and reserving the carrots and parsnips. Slice the chicken into small pieces. Refrigerate the chicken, carrots and parsnips in separate containers overnight. The next day, carefully skim off and discard any congealed fat from the soup.
- When reheating the soup, season it with sage, salt and pepper. (Or try cayenne for a little heat…works wonders on those sinuses!) Return the chicken, carrots and parsnips to the pot as well as additional chopped fresh dill and parsley. Heat the soup just to a simmer so not to overcook the herbs.
Notes
[b]Make Ahead and Storage Tips:[/b] soup may be cooked up to 3 days ahead. After cooling, cover and refrigerate. Reheat desired amount of soup on medium-low setting until hot. Soup may be frozen for up to 4 months. [br][br][b]Soup “Savvy”:[/b] separate soup into various sized containers…some for stock, some for family dinners and perhaps some for single-serve lunches.
