Stovetop Instructions:
Clear out both openings of the chicken and remove any giblets. Pat dry the chicken with a paper towel and place in a large stockpot. Fill the pot with cold water until the chicken is covered by about an inch of water. Place the stockpot of chicken on the stove over medium-high heat. When the water comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low to let simmer.
During the first part of the simmering process, you will see foam rise to the top of the water and clump together. Use a large spoon to skim off the foam and discard. Once all the foam has stopped producing, add back hot water to the pot so the chicken is covered by at least an inch again.
Add the carrots, celery, onion, parsnip, peppercorns, kosher salt, cloves, bay leaves, parsley and dill to the pot of chicken stock. Cover with a lid, butallow some venting and let the stock cook at a steady simmer. If it starts to boil too hard, the broth results will be cloudy.(steady bubbles coming up with steam, butnot a rolling boil). Let the stock cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the chicken meat is cooked and tender. You may have to occasionally add more water to keep the chicken covered.
When the chicken is done cooking, turn off the heat. Use large tongs to transfer the chicken and vegetables to a cutting board and let cool.
Pour the stock from the pot through a strainer into another large pot or large bowl. Discard any remaining herbs, spices, and onion chunks. This will give you a nice clear golden chicken broth. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. If desired, cover and refrigerate the broth for up to 8 hours and skim off any hardened fat from the surface and save the fat to use in other recipes. Otherwise, let the broth cool down for a couple hours and use a spoon to skim off the fat that is rising to the surface and discard.
Note: Rendered chicken fat skimmed off the top of cooled chicken broth is also known as the Jewish term "schmaltz". You can save that fat to help bind matzo balls in Chicken Matzo Ball Soup, or wrap the fat in plastic and freeze to use as a shortening replacement in other savory recipes such as homemade biscuits.
When the chicken is cooled, pull the meat off the bones and shred. Set aside the chicken meat until ready to use. Discard the chicken carcass and skin. Chop up the carrots and celery into smaller bite-sized pieces. In a large 5 quart Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the chopped vegetables and chicken broth. Note: If you do not prefer really soft vegetables in your soup, you can discard all the vegetables from your stock, and chop up fresh carrots, celery and parsnip and saute with a couple tablespoons chicken fat (schmaltz) or butter for a few minutes, until softened. Then add the sauteed vegetables to the broth.
Heat the vegetables and broth until they just start to boil, add noodles if desired and bring the soup back up to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low to let the soup simmer until the noodles have become tender. Stir in the chicken meat and let simmer for a few minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the soup in bowls to serve and garnish the tops with chopped fresh parsley or dill.
Serves 4-6
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instructions:
Place a trivet with handles facing upwards inside the inner pot.
Clear out both openings of the chicken and remove any giblets. Pat dry the chicken with a paper towel and place on top of the trivet inside the inner pot.
Add the carrots, celery, onion, parsnip, peppercorns, kosher salt, cloves, bay leaves, parsley and dill on top of the chicken. (Tuck vegetables into open pockets of space to make enough room in the inner pot.) Note: If you are using a 6 quart Instant Pot, reduce the number of vegetablesto have enough room in the inner pot. If using an 8 quart Instant Pot then the amount on the ingredient list should be fine.
Fill the inner pot with enough cold water to cover the chicken. Place the inner pot inside the Instant Pot appliance and cover with lid. Close the lid to the sealing position. Next, make sure the pressure valve is closed to the sealing position. Press the Manual button, with the High-Pressure setting. Adjust the pressure cooking time to 30 minutes. When the pressure cooking time is completed, let the pressure naturally release until you see the pressure pin drop. (this could take 25-30 minutes since there is a large quantity of liquid in the pot.) Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button to turn off the Instant Pot and open the lid and set aside.
Using tongs, pull out the carrots and celery to a cutting board to let cool. Place silicon mitts on your hands for protection and grab the trivet handles to pull the chicken up and out of the Instant Pot. Place the chicken on a plate and cover with a foil tent to let cool.
Pour the stock from the inner pot through a strainer into another large pot or large bowl. Discard any remaining herbs, spices, and onion chunks. This will give you a nice clear golden chicken broth. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. If desired, cover and refrigerate the broth for up to 8 hours and skim off any hardened fat from the surface and save the fat to use in other recipes. Otherwise, let the broth cool down for a couple hours and use a spoon to skim off the fat that is rising to the surface and discard.
Note: Rendered chicken fat skimmed off the top of cooled chicken broth is also known as the Jewish term "schmaltz". You can save that fat to help bind matzo balls in Chicken Matzo Ball Soup, or wrap the fat in plastic and freeze to use as a shortening replacement in other savory recipes such as homemade biscuits.
When the chicken is cooled, pull the meat off the bones and shred. Set aside the chicken meat until ready to use. Discard the chicken carcass and skin. Chop up the carrots and celery into smaller bite-sized pieces. Add the chopped vegetables and chicken broth back into the inner pot. Note: If you do not prefer really soft vegetables in your soup, you can discard all the vegetables from your stock, and chop up fresh carrots, celery and parsnip and saute with a couple tablespoons chicken fat (schmaltz) or butter for a few minutes, until softened. Then add the sauteed vegetables to the broth.
Press the Saute button and then press the Adjust button until you see the "More" heat setting on the panel. Once the broth starts to come to a boil, add noodles if desired and bring the soup back up to a boil. Let the soup simmer until the noodles have become tender. Stir in the chicken meat and let simmer for a few minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls to serve and garnish the tops with chopped fresh parsley or dill.
Serves 4-6
FAQs
What is the origin of Jewish chicken soup? ›
While chicken soup may be seen as a traditional food of Ashkenazim (Jews originally from Eastern or Central Europe), its origins are likely to be either Spanish or Portuguese, having been brought to Greece by Sephardi Jews (Jews from Spain or Portugal) who fled the Spanish Inquisition.
What is known as Jewish penicillin? ›Your bubbe was not the first to notice the restorative powers of chicken soup, aka “Jewish penicillin.” The Egyptian Jewish philosopher physician Maimonides prescribed the broth in the twelfth century as a curative for respiratory illnesses—a recommendation that was backed up in 2000 by research at the University of ...
Can Jewish people eat chicken soup? ›Chicken soup is the undoubtable symbol of Jewish cuisine. But the hot broth — made of scarce and expensive fresh meat — was not always readily available in every Eastern European Jewish community.
What are the benefits of Jewish chicken soup? ›It is said that the 12th century Jewish philosopher Maimonides claimed that the soup relieved colds, nourished pregnant women, and even possibly cured asthma and leprosy. He wasn't too far off on the cold part. A study done in 2000 revealed that there is some anti-inflammatory benefit to chicken soup.
Can you eat chicken in the Torah? ›Certain domesticated fowl can be eaten, such as chicken, geese, quail, dove, and turkey. The animal must be slaughtered by a shochet — a person trained and certified to butcher animals according to Jewish laws. The meat must be soaked to remove any traces of blood before cooking.
Why do Jews eat matzo ball soup? ›At that table, matzo balls serve as an Ashkenazi Jewish cultural symbol and reminder of past hardships — matzo representing the unleavened bread that the Jewish people ate in the desert to sustain themselves during their exodus from Egypt.
Is chicken soup a natural antibiotic? ›Chicken contains an amino acid cysteine which has been shown to reduce and break up mucous congestion in the lungs. Garlic- Garlic is a must in a chicken soup as nature's best natural antibiotic and antibacterial agent to help your body fight infection and get better quickly.
Who invented chicken soup? ›Chicken noodle soup, as we know it today, has its origins traced back to recipes created in Jewish, Amish, and Mennonite communities in Scotland and Poland that immigrated to the USA 2.
Does chicken broth have antibiotic properties? ›As chicken cooks, it releases an amino acid resembling properties in medicine used to fight infections such as bronchitis.
Why can't Jews eat chicken with dairy? ›'meat in milk') is forbidden according to Jewish law. This dietary law, basic to kashrut, is based on two verses in the Book of Exodus, which forbid "boiling a (goat) kid in its mother's milk" and a third repetition of this prohibition in Deuteronomy.
Why can't Jews eat chicken and dairy together? ›
Prohibition on mixing dairy products with meat
Others associate it with the general prohibition on certain mixtures set out in the Torah, such as that of coupling animals from different species. Yet others see it as symbolic: the refusal to mix life (milk) and death (meat).
But it is a long-standing practice for many Eastern European Jewish families to serve roast chicken on Friday night. Why did it become the iconic Shabbat dinner? Probably because meat is considered a luxury, and therefore a fitting centerpiece for the most sacred meal of the week.
Is it OK to eat chicken soup everyday? ›Known to all, chicken is considered to be a great source of protein and amino acids that are really good for the growth of muscles and other tissues. Hence, a bowl of chicken soup can be a great addition in your daily diet.
Which part of chicken is healthiest for soup? ›And both Celis and Freidank agree that a whole chicken is the best choice for the best chicken soup. "I suggest a whole chicken and bones to create a more robust soup," Celis says. Although Freidank is team whole chicken, if a whole bird isn't the right choice for you he suggests using thigh quarters or just thighs.
Why do doctors recommend chicken soup? ›Compared with hot water alone, studies show chicken soup is more effective at loosening mucus. The herbs and spices sometimes used in chicken soup, such as pepper and garlic, also loosen mucus. The broth, which contains water and electrolytes, helps with rehydration.
Who made the first chicken soup? ›Chinese chicken noodle
Archaeological evidence shows that people started using poultry to make soups soon after they discovered how to boil water. The earliest recorded evidence of chicken soup being used as a therapeutic dish dates back to Chinese antiquity.
German, Austrian, and Alsatian Jews were the first to prepare matzo balls for their soup; middle eastern Jews introduced additional variations. An early recipe for matzoh ball soup, made with beef stock, is found in The Jewish manual, or, Practical information in Jewish and modern cookery (1846).
What culture invented soup? ›Who boiled the first soup? The exact time period that soup was invented remains debatable. However according to archaeologist John Speth, our ancient Neanderthal relatives were likely to have begun boiling meat to render fat from animal bones – resulting in a meat broth that they would have drunk as soup.
What is the origin of blood soup? ›Pork blood soup is soup in Chinese cuisine, and was consumed by laborers in Kaifeng "over 1,000 years ago", along with offal dumplings called jiaozi.