Cooking Corner

By Judy Eichner

Homemade Chicken Soup and Matzo Balls – A Decade’s Old Winter Staple

Whether or not the claim that homemade chicken soup is a cure-all, also known as Jewish penicillin, its use is widespread in many cultures around the world.  Doctors have differing opinions, but most of the parent’s I know swear it’s so.  Try making the soup using the following recipe and see if it makes you feel better the next time you have a cold or an upper respiratory infection.

Chicken Soup

1 whole chicken, or 3 chicken breasts (6 pieces)

4 large celery ribs

4-6 large carrots

2 large onions

salt and pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients in a large soup pot. Use enough water to just about cover the ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil and then lower the flame to medium and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove the vegetables and put in a food processor or blender.  Process until the mixture is thick and the vegetable pieces are not distinguishable from one another. Remove the chicken from the pot and cut into bite sized pieces. Add the veggies and the chicken to the pot and slowly cook covered for about 1 to 1 ½ hours. If it looks like a good part of the liquid has evaporated, add a container of clear chicken broth, preferably organic. Serve with either matzo balls (recipe to follow) or very fine egg noodles.

Matzo Balls

In a large bowl, put:

4 tablespoons of vegetable oil

4 large eggs, slightly beaten

2 teaspoons of salt, if desired

4 tablespoons of chicken soup or water

1 cup of matzo meal

Blend the vegetable oil, eggs, matzo meal and salt together. Add soup stock or water and mix until mixture is uniform. Cover and place the mixture in the refrigerator for 15* minutes.  Bring 3 quarts of water to a brisk boil. Reduce flame and drop balls approximately 1 inch in diameter formed from refrigerator mixture. Cover the pot and cook 40 – 50 minutes.  Add to soup.

Enjoy!

*Be sure and refrigerate the matzo mixture for just 15 minutes.  Leaving it in the refrigerator longer, makes the matzo balls tough.  Taking the mixture out before 15 minutes sometimes makes the balls fall apart.

Happy New Year.