Tammy's Recipes

A flavorful chicken soup with carrots and celery, served with homemade matza balls

Soup Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken meat (can be breasts or pieces from a whole chicken)
3 onions, cut into halves
4 quarts water
5 carrots, thickly sliced
5 celery stalks, thickly sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt or seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Matza Ball Ingredients:

3/4 cup medium matzo meal (you can crush your own matza for this; a food processor works great!)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup very finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 onion, very finely grated or minced
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon or salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup water

1. In a very large pan, combine chicken (large pieces), onions, water, carrots, celery, parsley, and seasonings, except for salt. (I prefer to salt to taste when the soup is ready to be served.)

2. Cover and bring pan to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer; skim and discard the initial scum that rises to the surface of the liquid. (This only needs to be done once, to help make a clearer soup.)

3. Simmer soup for about 3 hours, until the soup is flavorful and the chicken is falling apart. Skim the fat from the top if needed (depends on the cut of meat used).

4. To make the matza balls, combine matza ball ingredients in a bowl, except water, and mix. Add water and stir to make a wet paste. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

5. Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Put some water in a small bowl (for dipping fingertips) and with wet hands (and a small spoon if desired), form the chilled matzo batter into balls, about 3/4-inch to 1-inch in diameter.

6. Slip the matzo balls into the pan of boiling water. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes.

7. Using a slotted spoon, gently remove the matzo balls from the water and place on a plate for about 20 minutes, during which time they will become more firm.

8. To serve, place two or three matza balls in each soup bowl, and spoon hot soup over top.

We love this delicious chicken soup! The soup part is very simple to make, with large chunks of vegetables and meat. Making the matza balls is more time-consuming, but the end result is a lovely, tasty treat! My rating: 10/10.