Chicken soup, made from scratch, has enormous healing powers. A portion of those healing properties come from the love and care of whoever is making the soup. Whenever we cook, our energy goes into the food we make. Just another reason why you really don’t want to be eating food made by strangers, especially unhappy or angry ones.
There is no one specific way to make chicken soup, many cultures have their own version. I hope to share some of these in the next few days.
We’ll start with the Jewish version, the one my husband showed me how to make many moons ago. Also known as “Jewish penicillin”, this soup can help cure whatever is wrong with you.
Jewish Chicken Soup
4 quarts water
1 large cut-up chicken, preferably stewing or large roaster
2 whole onions, unpeeled
4 parsnips, peeled and left whole
½ cup chopped celery leaves plus 2 stalks celery and their leaves
1 large turnip, peeled and quartered
6 carrots, peeled and left whole
6 tbsps. chopped fresh parsley
6 tbsp. snipped dill
1 tbsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. fresh ground pepper
Put water and the chicken in a large pot and bring the water to a boil. Skim off the froth.
Add the onions, parsnips, celery, turnip, 4 of the carrots, the parsley, 4 tbsps. of the dill, and the salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 2 ½ hours, adjusting the seasoning to taste.
Strain, remove the chicken, discard the vegetables and refrigerate the liquid to solidify. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and cut the meat into bite-size chunks. Refrigerate. Remove the fat from the soup.
Just before serving, reheat the soup. Bring to a boil. Cut the remaining 2 carrots into thin strips and add to the soup along with a few pieces of chicken. Simmer about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked, but still firm. Serve with the remaining snipped dill. You can also add noodles or matzah balls.
What is in your version of chicken soup? Post it in the comment section!
