Traditional Jewish Chicken Soup Recipe: (2024)

  1. Stovetop Instructions:

  2. Clear out both openings of the chicken and remove any giblets. Pat dry the chicken with a paper towel and place in a large stockpot. Fill the pot with cold water until the chicken is covered by about an inch of water. Place the stockpot of chicken on the stove over medium-high heat. When the water comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low to let simmer.

  3. During the first part of the simmering process, you will see foam rise to the top of the water and clump together. Use a large spoon to skim off the foam and discard. Once all the foam has stopped producing, add back hot water to the pot so the chicken is covered by at least an inch again.

  4. Add the carrots, celery, onion, parsnip, peppercorns, kosher salt, cloves, bay leaves, parsley and dill to the pot of chicken stock. Cover with a lid, butallow some venting and let the stock cook at a steady simmer. If it starts to boil too hard, the broth results will be cloudy.(steady bubbles coming up with steam, butnot a rolling boil). Let the stock cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the chicken meat is cooked and tender. You may have to occasionally add more water to keep the chicken covered.

  5. When the chicken is done cooking, turn off the heat. Use large tongs to transfer the chicken and vegetables to a cutting board and let cool.

  6. Pour the stock from the pot through a strainer into another large pot or large bowl. Discard any remaining herbs, spices, and onion chunks. This will give you a nice clear golden chicken broth. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. If desired, cover and refrigerate the broth for up to 8 hours and skim off any hardened fat from the surface and save the fat to use in other recipes. Otherwise, let the broth cool down for a couple hours and use a spoon to skim off the fat that is rising to the surface and discard.

  7. Note: Rendered chicken fat skimmed off the top of cooled chicken broth is also known as the Jewish term "schmaltz". You can save that fat to help bind matzo balls in Chicken Matzo Ball Soup, or wrap the fat in plastic and freeze to use as a shortening replacement in other savory recipes such as homemade biscuits.

  8. When the chicken is cooled, pull the meat off the bones and shred. Set aside the chicken meat until ready to use. Discard the chicken carcass and skin. Chop up the carrots and celery into smaller bite-sized pieces. In a large 5 quart Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the chopped vegetables and chicken broth. Note: If you do not prefer really soft vegetables in your soup, you can discard all the vegetables from your stock, and chop up fresh carrots, celery and parsnip and saute with a couple tablespoons chicken fat (schmaltz) or butter for a few minutes, until softened. Then add the sauteed vegetables to the broth.

  9. Heat the vegetables and broth until they just start to boil, add noodles if desired and bring the soup back up to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low to let the soup simmer until the noodles have become tender. Stir in the chicken meat and let simmer for a few minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  10. Ladle the soup in bowls to serve and garnish the tops with chopped fresh parsley or dill.

  11. Serves 4-6

  12. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instructions:

  13. Place a trivet with handles facing upwards inside the inner pot.

  14. Clear out both openings of the chicken and remove any giblets. Pat dry the chicken with a paper towel and place on top of the trivet inside the inner pot.

  15. Add the carrots, celery, onion, parsnip, peppercorns, kosher salt, cloves, bay leaves, parsley and dill on top of the chicken. (Tuck vegetables into open pockets of space to make enough room in the inner pot.) Note: If you are using a 6 quart Instant Pot, reduce the number of vegetablesto have enough room in the inner pot. If using an 8 quart Instant Pot then the amount on the ingredient list should be fine.

  16. Fill the inner pot with enough cold water to cover the chicken. Place the inner pot inside the Instant Pot appliance and cover with lid. Close the lid to the sealing position. Next, make sure the pressure valve is closed to the sealing position. Press the Manual button, with the High-Pressure setting. Adjust the pressure cooking time to 30 minutes. When the pressure cooking time is completed, let the pressure naturally release until you see the pressure pin drop. (this could take 25-30 minutes since there is a large quantity of liquid in the pot.) Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button to turn off the Instant Pot and open the lid and set aside.

  17. Using tongs, pull out the carrots and celery to a cutting board to let cool. Place silicon mitts on your hands for protection and grab the trivet handles to pull the chicken up and out of the Instant Pot. Place the chicken on a plate and cover with a foil tent to let cool.

  18. Pour the stock from the inner pot through a strainer into another large pot or large bowl. Discard any remaining herbs, spices, and onion chunks. This will give you a nice clear golden chicken broth. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. If desired, cover and refrigerate the broth for up to 8 hours and skim off any hardened fat from the surface and save the fat to use in other recipes. Otherwise, let the broth cool down for a couple hours and use a spoon to skim off the fat that is rising to the surface and discard.

  19. Note: Rendered chicken fat skimmed off the top of cooled chicken broth is also known as the Jewish term "schmaltz". You can save that fat to help bind matzo balls in Chicken Matzo Ball Soup, or wrap the fat in plastic and freeze to use as a shortening replacement in other savory recipes such as homemade biscuits.

  20. When the chicken is cooled, pull the meat off the bones and shred. Set aside the chicken meat until ready to use. Discard the chicken carcass and skin. Chop up the carrots and celery into smaller bite-sized pieces. Add the chopped vegetables and chicken broth back into the inner pot. Note: If you do not prefer really soft vegetables in your soup, you can discard all the vegetables from your stock, and chop up fresh carrots, celery and parsnip and saute with a couple tablespoons chicken fat (schmaltz) or butter for a few minutes, until softened. Then add the sauteed vegetables to the broth.

  21. Press the Saute button and then press the Adjust button until you see the "More" heat setting on the panel. Once the broth starts to come to a boil, add noodles if desired and bring the soup back up to a boil. Let the soup simmer until the noodles have become tender. Stir in the chicken meat and let simmer for a few minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  22. Ladle the soup into bowls to serve and garnish the tops with chopped fresh parsley or dill.

  23. Serves 4-6

Traditional Jewish Chicken Soup Recipe: (2024)

FAQs

What food is considered Jewish penicillin? ›

A classic recipe for Jewish chicken soup, also called "Jewish Penicillin." This soup is even better reheated the next day! Add matzo balls if you wish or just serve with noodles, fresh bread, or biscuits.

Is chicken soup a Jewish thing? ›

In American popular culture, though, chicken soup remains the quintessential Jewish comfort food and a symbol of homemade Jewish cuisine that members of the community long for. So much so, it's easy to forget that the origins of this Jewish staple are actually found in ancient Greece and China.

What is matzo ball mix made of? ›

While each family has its own recipe, all matzo balls are made of three key components: matzo meal, fat, and eggs. Matzo meal simply refers to matzo crackers that are ground up into a fine meal. You can also find matzo ball mix in most supermarkets; it consists of matzo meal, spices, and preservatives.

Is chicken soup good for your gut? ›

Nourishing Bone Broth - Gut healing chicken bone broth helps heal intestinal permeability, known as leaky gut. The collagen helps decrease inflammation, but also nourish the lining of the intestines. Comforting Recipe - The nostalgia of having a hot bowl of chicken soup always warms your soul in the colder months.

Is chicken soup a natural antibiotic? ›

Chicken contains an amino acid cysteine which has been shown to reduce and break up mucous congestion in the lungs. Garlic- Garlic is a must in a chicken soup as nature's best natural antibiotic and antibacterial agent to help your body fight infection and get better quickly.

Can Jews eat strawberries? ›

The strictly Orthodox Torah and Land Institute declared that strawberries grown in Israel were infested with miniscule insects and were therefore not kosher.

Why can't Jews eat chicken with dairy? ›

Prohibition on mixing dairy products with meat

Others associate it with the general prohibition on certain mixtures set out in the Torah, such as that of coupling animals from different species. Yet others see it as symbolic: the refusal to mix life (milk) and death (meat).

Can Jews eat noodles? ›

Unless the noodles are made from potato or rice (for Sefardim) flour, most noodles are forbidden on Pesach. All of the main species of grain: wheat, barley, spelt, rye, etc, and (for Ashkenazim) rice, corn, oats, buckwheat etc are forbidden during Pesach.

Did ancient Hebrews eat chicken? ›

The Ancient City Where People Decided To Eat Chickens : The Salt Chicken bones unearthed in Israel may mark a turning point in human cuisine: They could be the earliest evidence of people raising chickens for food, rather than co*ckfighting or use in ceremonies.

What is a substitute for matzo balls? ›

One acceptable substitute is almond flour. During any other time of year, crushed crackers such as saltines or oyster crackers and any breadcrumbs, including panko, can be used.

Why is matzo so expensive? ›

The extra level of scrutiny — and the labor-intensive process required to make handcrafted matzah — is largely what accounts for its high price: anywhere from $20 to $60 for a single pound.

Why is matzo ball soup so good? ›

The heat of the soup, the carbohydrates in the matzo balls, the extra liquid for hydration, and the chemical properties of the broth all combine to help the body power through a cold. And, in addition to the medicinal benefits, matzo ball soup provides a comforting taste of home. In a popularly cited study, Dr.

Is it okay to eat chicken soup everyday? ›

Known to all, chicken is considered to be a great source of protein and amino acids that are really good for the growth of muscles and other tissues. Hence, a bowl of chicken soup can be a great addition in your daily diet.

Why do I feel better after eating chicken noodle soup? ›

“Chicken is also high in tryptophan, which helps your body produce serotonin that can enhance your mood and give you the feeling of 'comfort' that helps make chicken noodle soup a true comfort food,” Allonen says.

Can I just drink chicken broth? ›

It can be consumed as is, and although many people drink broth as well, it does not contain as much collagen, vitamins, minerals and anti-inflammatory benefits as found in stock. That said, it can be used in many of the same ways as stock, and is often found as a main ingredient in recipes for soups and stir-fries.

Who came up with chicken soup? ›

People have obsessed over chicken soup since the domestication of fowl around 7,000 to 10,000 years ago in Southeast Asia. The Ancient Greeks also had their own version of chicken broth, and believed the soup to have those healing properties I was harping on about earlier.

Is soup a kosher food? ›

What are the requirements for a soup to be considered kosher? A kosher soup is a soup that is kosher. To be kosher it has to consist entirely of kosher ingredients and to have been cooked in a pot that is kosher, with all ladles and utensils used with the soup being kosher as well.

Do Jews not eat meat and dairy? ›

The Laws prohibiting the consumption of meats and dairy together originates in a phrase quoted three times in the Torah; "Do not seethe a kid in it's mother's milk" (Ex. 23:19; Ex. 34:26; Deut. 14:21).

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Moshe Kshlerin

Last Updated:

Views: 6030

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Moshe Kshlerin

Birthday: 1994-01-25

Address: Suite 609 315 Lupita Unions, Ronnieburgh, MI 62697

Phone: +2424755286529

Job: District Education Designer

Hobby: Yoga, Gunsmithing, Singing, 3D printing, Nordic skating, Soapmaking, Juggling

Introduction: My name is Moshe Kshlerin, I am a gleaming, attractive, outstanding, pleasant, delightful, outstanding, famous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.