There is nothing I love more than this soup, I am delighted to share our family recipe with you and hope you love it as much as I do! Below is the recipe we have been perfecting in our family for generations, enjoy!

This traditional recipe is good for anything that ails you. It's the best when you have the flu and great on the second and third days. Note, these matzah balls are “sinkers’. They are traditional matzah balls, as this recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother, who made them as heavy as possible to feed a hungry family during lean times. Cut the Matzo meal in half if you want to lighten the load.

At your local grocery store, you can find a package of ingredients that contains diced onion, celery, rutabaga, parsnip carrot, dill, and parsley, but it’s best to chop them fresh to ensure a great flavor in the soup. Additionally, if you don’t have the time or skill to manage a whole chicken, you can work with pre-butchered chicken breast and thigh meat. In the famous words of Ina Garten, “If you can’t chop all of your own ingredients, store-bought will be fine.” ;)

Prep Time:30 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Ready In: 4 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole chicken 

1 medium yellow onion, chopped 

8 carrots, peeled and sliced 

1 parsnip, chopped 

3 cloves garlic, crushed 

2 stalks celery, chopped. ( add all the leave tops of a celery bunch for lots of flavor also) 

1 bunch fresh dill weed, chopped 

1 bunch of parsley 

2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into smaller pieces 

1 ginger piece about 2 inches peeled and cut into small pieces 

1 rutabaga peeled and cut into quarters. 

salt and pepper to taste 

2 1/2 cups Matzo meal 

6 eggs 

6 tablespoons vegetable oil 

2 teaspoons salt 

DIRECTIONS:

Place the chicken into a large pot with the breast side down. Fill with enough cold water to reach about 3 inches from the top of the pot. Add the onion, carrot, parsnip, celery pieces and leaves, dill, parsley, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, and ginger… Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, partially covered, for 2 hours. Do not let the soup boil. Skim any fat from the top of the soup, and add the garlic cloves. Partially cover and simmer for another 2 hours for the best flavor.

2. Mix the matzo meal, eggs, oil, salt, and 1/4 cup of broth from the chicken soup in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to set up.

3. Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Roll the matzah mixture into about 16 balls. Wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them. Drop the balls into boiling water, cover them, and cook for about 35 minutes.

4. While the matzah balls are cooking, strain the broth from the chicken soup. Return the broth to the pot. Remove the bones and skin from the chicken and cut into pieces. Return to the soup, or leave the soup as a broth and reserve the chicken for other uses. Remove the matzah balls from the water, and serve in the hot chicken soup.