Edith's Matzo Ball Soup

Name: Edith's Matzo Ball Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 630 min
Total time: 660 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Jewish
Ingredients: 1½ lb. chicken bones; 1 whole chicken (3–4 lbs.), giblets removed; 2 large yellow onions, peeled; 4 medium parsnips, peeled; 2 medium carrots, peeled; 1 small fennel bulb; 2 celery stalks, washed; ¾ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley; 1 piece dried kombu (6 by 5 inches); 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp. kosher salt

Recipe GLPR5fc74775f191ab

Jewish

Soup

660 min

1765 cal

Servings: 4

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

A classic Jewish chicken and vegetable soup built on a rich, aromatic broth. Whole chicken and bones simmer gently with onions, parsnips, carrots, fennel, celery, and parsley, enriched with kombu and bay leaves. This warming, homestyle soup serves four and develops deep flavor over more than ten hours of slow cooking.

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Ingredients

1½ lb. chicken bones

1 whole chicken (3–4 lbs.), giblets removed

2 large yellow onions, peeled

4 medium parsnips, peeled

2 medium carrots, peeled

1 small fennel bulb

2 celery stalks, washed

¾ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1 piece dried kombu (6 by 5 inches)

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

Place the chicken bones and whole chicken in a large pot. Cover with cold water until the chicken and bones are submerged by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then skim off any foam that rises to the surface during the first few minutes.
Once the broth is mostly clear and the major impurities have been skimmed, reduce the heat to low and add the onions, parsnips, carrots, fennel bulb, celery stalks, parsley, dried kombu, bay leaves, and kosher salt.
Maintain a gentle simmer, partially covered, for approximately 10 to 11 hours. The broth will deepen in color and develop a rich, complex flavor. Skim any remaining impurities from the surface as they appear during the first hour of cooking.
Carefully remove the whole chicken from the pot and set aside on a cutting board until cool enough to handle. Remove any meat from the bones if desired, or leave it attached for presentation.
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids (bones, vegetables, and aromatics). The finished broth should be clear and golden with a robust poultry flavor.
Return the strained broth to a clean pot and gently reheat if necessary. Portion the broth into bowls and serve hot, optionally topped with shredded or diced chicken. The internal temperature of the poultry should have reached 165°F during the long simmer.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

Every ingredient is stocked at any Charlotte grocer without a detour, and the cost per serving lands around $3–$4 with chicken bones and a whole bird likely sourced at Harris Teeter or Food Lion for under $2 per pound. The stated time of 660 minutes—eleven hours—is honest for a proper bone broth base, though a weeknight cook should know that simmering can happen in the background; the actual hands-on prep is maybe 20 minutes. This is a forgiving, hands-off dish that reheats beautifully and feeds a family well, though kombu (kelp) might puzzle a cook unfamiliar with it, and the long simmer means it is not a quick supper.