By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 6
318 cal · 140 min
Joan Nathan's Chosen Matzo Ball Soup
Recipe GLPReee5978b046a22
A traditional Jewish chicken soup enriched with homemade matzo ball dumplings, simmered with tender vegetables including carrots, parsnips, and celery, fragrant with fresh dill and parsley. This comforting kosher-for-Passover soup serves as both nourishing broth and complete meal.
Save recipes you love
Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds
2 large onions, unpeeled
4 parsnips, trimmed and halved
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
6 carrots, cut into chunks
6 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
6 tablespoons fresh dill, snipped, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Directions
Place the whole chicken in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then skim off any foam that rises to the surface using a slotted spoon.
Add the unpeeled onions, parsnips, celery stalks, and carrot chunks to the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for about 1.5 to 2 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
Carefully remove the cooked chicken from the pot and set aside on a cutting board. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, discarding the solids. Skim away any fat from the surface if desired.
Tear or shred the cooled chicken meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding the skin and bones. Return the shredded chicken to the strained broth.
Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and half of the snipped fresh dill into the soup. Season to taste with salt and the coarse ground black pepper.
Divide the hot soup among serving bowls and garnish each portion with the remaining snipped fresh dill. Serve immediately, ideally accompanied by matzo balls prepared separately.
Comments
Every ingredient is stocked year-round at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, and Walmart without exception, and parsnips are a standard root vegetable in Charlotte's winter markets. The real cost driver is the whole chicken, which typically runs $1.50–$1.80 per pound, meaning expect $9–$12 for the bird alone; the broth pays for itself if you plan to use it, but as a one-off the per-serving cost edges toward $3–$4 for a soup rather than a full meal. The stated 140 minutes is honest—20 minutes prep, 90 minutes for the broth, and 30 for the matzo balls to set and cook—though first-timers will need longer to get the batter right. This is genuinely good weeknight comfort food that reheats beautifully and makes enough for lunch the next day, a real advantage for a busy family.
Sign in or create a free account to add your review.
