Source:

Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan

Serves/Makes:10

Ingredients

• Soup:
• 1 large chicken, cup into pieces
• 4 quarts (3775 ml) cold water
• 2 onions, peeled
• 4 parsnips, peeled
• 2 ribs celery, with leaves, cut in half
• 1 rutabega, peeled and quartered
• 1 kohlrabi, quartered
• 6 carrots, peeled
• 6 fresh parsley sprigs
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) chopped fresh parsley
• 5 fresh dill sprigs
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) salt
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) pepper
• Matzo Balls:
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil or chicken fat
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) chicken broth
• 1 cup (225 ml) matzo meal
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped parsley
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) dried ginger OR
• 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh ginger, minced
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Preparation

• Put chicken and water in large stockpot; heat to simmer.
• Skim off surface.
• Add onions, parsnips, celery ribs and leaves, rutabaga, turnip, kohlrabi, 4 of the carrots, parsley sprigs, dill, salt and pepper.
• Cover and simmer 2 1/2 hours.
• Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Remove the chicken from the stockpot; refrigerate and reserve for another use.
• Strain broth through colander lined with cheesecloth; discard vegetables.
• Refrigerate broth.
• Remove congealed fat from soup (if desired, save 2 tbsp (30 ml) for the matzo balls).
• For Matzo balls, beat eggs with fork in medium bowl.
• Add oil, broth, matzo meal, parsley, ginger, and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.
• Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Heat large pot of salted water to boil.
• Moisten hands with cold water.
• Roll mixture into balls slightly smaller than golf balls; drop into boiling water.
• Cover and simmer until plump and cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Reheat broth.
• Cut remaining 2 carrots into julienned strips.
• Add carrots; simmer until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer cooked matzo balls to hot soup.
• Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

Comments

Matzo balls can be made ahead and chilled. Simmer in chicken soup to warm through, 15 minutes. As reprinted in the Chicago Tribune, Wednesday, April 12, 2000.