Stovetop Instructions:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ladle the soup in bowls to serve and garnish the tops with chopped fresh parsley or dill.
Serves 4-6
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instructions:
Place a trivet with handles facing upwards inside the inner pot.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ladle the soup into bowls to serve and garnish the tops with chopped fresh parsley or dill.
Serves 4-6
FAQs
What food is considered Jewish penicillin? ›
Your bubbe was not the first to notice the restorative powers of chicken soup, aka “Jewish penicillin.” The Egyptian Jewish philosopher physician Maimonides prescribed the broth in the twelfth century as a curative for respiratory illnesses—a recommendation that was backed up in 2000 by research at the University of ...
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 the story behind Jewish soup? ›"But then later, Maimonides, who was a Jewish philosopher-scientist, said that chicken soup was a panacea for so many different things: asthma, weight gain (like bone soup is today), leprosy." Since Maimonedes' time, chicken soup has been prescribed by grandmothers and doctors alike.
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 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).
Poultry and eggs
Biblical references and archaeological evidence also demonstrate that wild birds were hunted and eaten.
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.
Why do Jews eat hummus? ›Hummus is a common part of everyday meals in Israel. It is made from ingredients that, following Kashrut (Jewish dietary laws), can be combined with both meat and dairy meals. Chickpea dishes have long been part of the cuisine of Jews who lived in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
What did Jews eat in the Bible? ›
At the time of the Bible, ancient Israel was famed for its wine, honey and pomegranates, along with its olive oil, which was used extensively both raw and for cooking the occasional meat and the more frequent stews of legumes like lentils and barley.
Why do Jews dip vegetables in salt water? ›The idea behind the salt water is to symbolize the salty tears that the Jews shed in their slavery in Egypt. One reason given for dipping a vegetable into saltwater is to provoke children to ask about it, as per the theme of the Seder night that the story is to be recounted by way of question and answer.
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.
What is the difference between matzo and matzah? ›Matzo reflects common Ashkenazi pronunciation (which dominated in English speaking countries in past centuries) but is not entirely accurate since it drops the “h” from the end. Matzah, on the other hand, retains the “h” and can be read accurately and easily by both Ashkenazim and Sephardim.
What is a substitute for matzo meal? ›Matzo Meal Substitutes
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.
Biblically prohibited foods include: Non-kosher animals—any mammals without certain identifying characteristics (cloven hooves and rumination); any birds of prey; any fish without fins or scales (thus excluding catfish, for instance).