Moms Chicken Soup With Matzoh Balls Carrots And Dill Recipes

CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic and seasonings in a 16- to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remove 2 of the chickens and allow to cool slightly. Remove the breast meat from both chickens and set aside. Return the remaining chicken and carcasses to the pot and continue simmering, uncovered, for 3 more hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and chill. Remove the surface fat, then reheat the stock as follows, or pack in containers and freeze.
• To serve the soup, return the stock to the pot and reheat, adding the diced carrots, celery, dill and parsley. Shred the reserved chicken breast meat into large pieces and add to the stock. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes to cook the vegetables and reheat the chicken. Season to taste and serve as is, or ladle each serving over 1 or 2 warm matzo balls.
• Whisk together the egg yolks, 1/2 cup chicken stock, chicken fat, parsley and salt. Stir in the matzo meal. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are stiff. Whisk them into the matzo mixture until it is smooth. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.
• Bring a pot of chicken stock to a simmer (about 3 quarts). Form matzo balls the size of golf balls by shaping them with 2 spoons, rolling them with your hands or scooping them with a small ice cream scoop. Drop them into the simmering stock and cook for 30 minutes, or until fully cooked and puffed, turning once. Remove and serve hot in the chicken soup.

KOSHER CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• To make the soup on the stovetop, combine chicken, onions, celery, carrots, dill, bay leaf, and 3 quarts water in a large pot. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for at least five hours. Skim the surface of the soup occasionally to remove any foam that develops.
• Remove the chicken and vegetables from the broth; discard vegetables. Strain the broth, cool, and refrigerate overnight. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the chicken meat from the bones, and chop or shred the meat; cover and refrigerate.
• To make the soup in a pressure cooker, add chicken, onions, celery, carrots, dill, bay leaf, and water to the pressure cooker as directed in step 1, seal the pressure cooker, and bring it up to full pressure. Reduce the heat, maintaining full pressure, and cook for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to drop naturally. Remove chicken and vegetables from broth. Strain the broth; discard vegetables. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove chicken meat from bones as directed in step 2.
• Combine vegetable oil, eggs, basil, parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and black pepper in a bowl; mix well. Stir in the matzo meal, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Bring at least 3 quarts of water, or as needed, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot. Using wet hands, gently shape the matzo mixture into balls about 2 inches across and drop them in the boiling water. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Skim the fat off the chilled chicken broth and place broth in a pot over medium heat. Add salt to taste and the reserved cooked chicken, if desired (see Cook's Note). Transfer the cooked matzo balls to the chicken soup and heat to serve.

MATZO BALL SOUP WITH CELERY AND DILL

Steps:

• Prepare the broth: Combine chicken, onions, garlic, celery and carrots in a large pot. Cover with 12 cups water and season with salt. (If your pot can't handle all that water, fill the pot with as much as you can, and add remaining water as it reduces.)
• Bring to a strong simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low so that the broth is gently simmering.
• Continue to gently simmer, uncovered, until the broth is extremely flavorful and well seasoned, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Using tongs, remove breasts, thighs and legs from the pot (let any skin and bones fall into the pot), leaving everything else behind.
• Pick the meat from the chicken, discarding any fat, skin, bones, cartilage or any drier pieces of meat that you wouldn't find delicious to eat. Set meat aside to either put back into your soup, or to use in another dish (chicken salad, etc).
• Strain broth (you should have about 10 cups) and return to the pot. Season with salt and pepper (it should be as seasoned and delicious as you'd want it to be when serving). Keep warm, if using same day, or let cool and refrigerate overnight.
• As broth sits, prepare the matzo balls: Combine matzo meal, chives and 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt in a medium bowl. Using a fork, incorporate eggs until well blended. Add chicken fat, followed by club soda, mixing until no lumps remain. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mixture is firm and fully hydrated, at least 2 hours (and up to 24 hours).
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Using your hands, roll matzo ball mixture into balls slightly smaller than the size of a ping pong ball (about 1 1/4-inch in diameter), placing them on a plate or parchment lined baking sheet until all the mixture is rolled (you should have about 24 matzo balls).
• Add matzo balls to the boiling water and cook until floating, puffed and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. (You can always sacrifice one, plucking it from the broth and cutting it in half to check that it's cooked through. The texture should be uniform in color and texture, and the balls shouldn't be dense or undercooked in the center.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the matzo balls to the chicken broth.
• Add celery (and some of the picked chicken meat, if you desire) and season again with salt before ladling into bowls, topping with dill, celery leaves and a crack of freshly ground pepper.

GREEN CHICKEN SOUP WITH DILL MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• For the soup:
• Place chicken, celery, carrots, onions, fennel, garlic, bay leaf, and parsley and dill with stems in a large pot. Add cold water to cover by 1". Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Gently simmer, partially covered, skimming off any foam that accumulates, until chicken is very tender and falling off the bone, about 1 1/2-2 hours.
• While the soup is simmering, make the matzo balls: Using a fork, mix together the eggs, oil, matzo meal, seltzer water, dill, and 2 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep water at a simmer.
• Moisten your hands with water. Scoop out a rounded tablespoonful of chilled matzo ball batter and very gently pat into a 1" ball (avoid squeezing too hard or rolling too much). Drop into simmering water and repeat with remaining batter. Cover pot and gently simmer until matzo balls are tender and puffed, 40-45 minutes. Drain matzo balls and return to the pot; cover and keep in a warm place.
• Remove chicken and vegetables from the chicken broth with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cutting board; let rest until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids. Return the strained broth to the pot. Using your fingers, remove chicken meat from bones and shred into bite-sized pieces. Slice vegetables into bite-size pieces. Place chicken and vegetables in broth, cover pot, and set aside in a warm place until ready to serve.
• To serve, add kale to broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until kale softens, 3-5 minutes. Season soup generously with salt and pepper.
• Divide matzo balls among bowls and ladle soup on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and dill before serving.
• Do Ahead
• Matzo balls can be cooled to room temperature, then stored, covered, in the fridge up to 1 day. Soup can be made until just before adding kale, cooled to room temperature, then stored in a covered container in the fridge up to 1 day. Reheat, then add kale and simmer for a few minutes before serving.

SPRING CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• Cook broth:
• Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, agitating them to remove all sand and grit, then lift out and transfer to an 8-quart stockpot.
• Add all remaining broth ingredients to pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, skimming foam occasionally, 3 hours.
• Make matzo balls:
• Stir together matzo meal, parsley, dill, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl.
• Work rendered chicken fat into mixture with your fingers until incorporated, then stir in 1/2 cup broth from chicken and yolks. Mixture will be stiff.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl until they just form soft peaks.
• Stir one-third of egg whites into matzo mixture to lighten, and then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Chill, covered, 30 minutes. If after being chilled, the matzo mixture is still not firm, add 1 tablespoon additional matzo meal.
• Finish soup:
• Transfer chicken from broth to a cutting board to cool. When cool enough to handle, tear chicken into shreds, discarding skin and bones.
• Remove carrots from broth and once cool, cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Line a large sieve with a double layer of dampened paper towels. Pour broth through sieve into a 5-to 6-quart pot, pressing hard on and discarding solids. Return broth to a simmer.
• With dampened hands, gently form chilled matzo mixture into roughly 1-inch balls, gently dropping them into simmering soup as formed (this should yield about 20 matzo balls; moisten hands as necessary to prevent sticking).
• Simmer matzo balls, covered, until just cooked through, about 45 minutes (To test: Halve one matzo ball. It should have a uniformly moist interior; if uncooked, it will be dry in the center).
• Stir carrots and chicken into hot soup to warm through before serving.
• Garnish with dill sprigs.

MOM'S CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZOH BALLS, CARROTS, AND DILL

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix together matzoh meal, chicken fat and seltzer. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl until frothy. Stir into matzoh meal mix with 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Bring 2 quarts of chicken soup to a simmer. Take a small spoonful of the mixture and using two small spoons, shape the mixture into small balls (about the size of a large marble) and place in simmering soup. Cook for 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, if you're making orzo, toast it in a dry, medium skillet over medium low heat, stirring often until it turns a light golden brown. Boil the orzo until al dente, drain and reserve for soup.
• Bring remaining 2 quarts of chicken stock to a boil. Cook carrots until al dente. Lower to a simmer, add cooked matzoh balls, orzo (if using), and dill. Serve very hot.