Traditional Jewish Comfort Soup (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the Chicken Broth

01 - 1 whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds), or use 4 to 5 pounds of chicken legs with bones
02 - 2 yellow onions, medium size
03 - 1 head of garlic, medium
04 - 3 celery stalks, medium
05 - 2 parsnips, medium
06 - 4 carrots, medium (you'll use 2 now and save 2 for later)
07 - 10 fresh parsley sprigs
08 - 1 tablespoon kosher salt
09 - 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, whole
10 - 14 cups cold water

→ For the Matzo Balls

11 - 5 eggs, large
12 - 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped, plus extra for topping
13 - 1 cup matzo meal
14 - 1/4 cup melted chicken fat (schmaltz), or substitute 4 tablespoons melted butter
15 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for cooking water
16 - Black pepper, freshly ground
17 - 1/4 cup plain seltzer water, club soda, or chicken stock
18 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (use only if you want fluffier matzo balls)

# Instructions:

01 - If you've got a whole chicken, break it down into 8 pieces with the bones still in—you'll want 2 thighs, 2 breasts, 2 wings, and 2 drumsticks. Toss everything into your large stockpot. If you're using chicken legs instead, just add those straight to the pot.
02 - Don't worry about peeling anything just yet. Cut your 2 onions into quarters and slice the garlic head in half across the middle so all those cloves are exposed. Roughly chop up the celery, parsnips, and 2 of your carrots, adding them to the pot as you go.
03 - Toss in the parsley sprigs, salt, and those whole peppercorns. Pour in all your cold water—if your pot's running tight on space, you can add the rest as things cook down and make room.
04 - Crank the heat to high and get everything up to a good strong simmer. As soon as you see those bubbles going, dial it back to low—you want just a gentle simmer happening. Let it bubble away uncovered for an hour. While that's going, peel your remaining 2 carrots and slice them thin at a slight angle. You can also get started on your matzo ball mixture now if you're feeling ambitious.
05 - Using your tongs, fish out the breast pieces and thighs (or pull out 2 of the whole legs if that's what you used). Keep the broth simmering for another hour until it's deeply flavored. Once those chicken pieces are cool enough to touch, pull off all the meat in shreds and toss out the skin and bones.
06 - Set a colander over a big bowl and pour everything through it. Toss out all the solids left in the colander. Pour that beautiful broth back into your stockpot and give it a taste—add more salt and pepper if it needs it. If you're making this ahead, let it cool and refrigerate everything. You can even skim off the fat layer that forms on top before reheating if you prefer.
07 - Crack your eggs into a medium bowl and whisk them up. Chop the dill nice and fine, then add it along with the matzo meal, melted schmaltz or butter, salt, and some black pepper. Here's where you choose: for light and fluffy matzo balls, add the seltzer and baking powder. For dense, traditional ones, use chicken broth instead and skip the baking powder. Whisk it all together, cover, and let it chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours—overnight is even better.
08 - Get a big pot of heavily salted water boiling. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop out about 1½ tablespoons of the chilled mixture at a time and roll into balls—if it's sticky, wet your hands or oil them lightly. Line them up on your prepared sheet.
09 - Drop those matzo balls into your boiling water and let them simmer for 10 minutes, tweaking the heat so they don't boil too aggressively. They'll float when they're getting close to done. While they're cooking, get your broth going.
10 - Bring your broth to a simmer over medium heat. Add those sliced carrots and shredded chicken, letting them simmer for about 10 minutes until the carrots soften slightly. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked matzo balls from their pot into the soup. Let everything simmer together for 5 more minutes. Ladle into bowls, top with fresh dill and a crack of black pepper, and dig in.

# Notes:

01 - You can make the broth a day or two ahead and refrigerate it separately from the chicken and carrots—this actually makes it easier to skim any fat from the surface.
02 - The matzo ball mixture needs at least 2 hours to chill, but overnight is ideal for the best texture.
03 - Adding seltzer and baking powder makes lighter, fluffier matzo balls, while using chicken broth instead creates denser, more traditional ones.

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