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Recipe - Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls
Contributed by Michael Greenberg

  • TOP HAGGADAHS FOR 2023

Grandma Sudy’s Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 Beef Short Rib (flunken)
½ Chicken cut into quarters
1 large yellow onion
1 large turnip
1 large parsnip (sometimes known as a root)
10 carrots
5 stalks of celery
1 leek
1 batch of parsley
1 batch of dill
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt

When choosing the chicken it is best to use a kosher soup chicken (sometimes called a pullet).  This type of chicken usually comes from an older chicken and has a more darker yellow color than a chicken used for roasting.

Choose a large enough pot to contain all of the above ingredients. 

Fill about ¾ with water and add about 1 tbps of kosher salt.

Bring to a boil and add short rib

Let simmer for about ½ hr occasionally skimming the fat off the top

Add the 4 chicken pieces whole without removing skin and bones

(you can also add the neck if you have it)

Bring to a boil again and simmer for another hour occasionally skimming the fat off the top

Peel the onion, turnip, parsnip, and carrots.  Cut off the bottom part of the leek

Make sure to wash all vegetables.

Add the onion, turnip, parsnip, carrots, celery, and leek and simmer for another 1 hr

Add the parsley, dill and bay leaf

Let simmer for 3-4 hrs

Note: Soup can be refrigerated overnight.  If done this way a layer of fat will be present at the top which will have to be skimmed off before reheating.  If refrigerated overnight reheat the soup prior to the next step.

Remove and discard the parsley, dill, leek, and bay leaf.

Remove the beef short rib, chicken, and remaining vegetables and place on a cutting surface.

Remove skin and bones and cut or shred the chicken and beef short rib as desired.

Slice the vegetables as desired and put all meat and vegetables back into the soup.

Soup can be served with broth only or with meat and vegetables.

Add fresh ground pepper and/or fresh chopped parsley/dill as desired.

Matzoh Balls (Knoedel)

Ingredients:

4 eggs
½ cup water
1 cup Horowitz/Margaraten Matzoh Meal
½ cup melted shortening
1 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
chopped parsley and/or dill (optional)

Note: in the old days rendered chicken fat would be used as the shortening.

Add water, melted shortening, salt, and pepper to the broken eggs.  Mix well.  Add matzoh meal and stir thoroughly.  Add parsley/dill as desired.  Let stand 20 minutes.

Note: you can refrigerate this overnight which may make it easier to form into balls for cooking.

Form into balls about the size of a golf ball – this may be easier if you run your hands under cold water before forming each ball.  The size of the balls will expand when cooking.  It is best if the size of each ball is slightly larger than a golf ball.

Add the balls to boiling water to which 1 tbps of kosher salt has been added.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Balls should float to the top when finished.
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