My friend Karen in Albany, New York where I am from is a great gourmet cook who is originally from South Africa. We inspired each other whenever we cooked together for a holiday or party. As gourmet as she is, her chicken soup is literally known as a KID MAGNET! Picky children who normally don’t want to eat their veggies inhale this soup without knowing our little secret - the veggies are blended into the soup! I have added a few more of my favorite chicken soup ingredients like wine, dill, corn, etc. Treasure this for years to come!!
1-2 ears of corn on the cob, shucked, cut in half, when in season
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
4-6 celery stalks, cleaned, cut in half
1 small bunch parsley
1 small bunch dill
optional: 1 rutabaga, peeled, trimmed, cut in half
1 cup dry white wine
3-4 tablespoons chicken soup powder
optional: 1 zucchini, cleaned well, cut in half
pinch white pepper
salt and pepper to taste
butcher’s twine (for tying parsley and dill together), or net twine bag for soup
Matzoh balls:
1 box matzoh ball mix (2 envelopes)
4 eggs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
pinch nutmeg
1 tablespoon, chopped parsley
1 tablespoon, chopped scallions
optional: 2 tablespoons each, finely diced carrot and zucchini
pinch white pepper
Instructions
Make the Broth:
In an eight quart pot place 1 chicken cut in ¼ or ⅛, 1 large onion, and 3 bay leaves; cover with water (2/3 full). Bring to a boil and cook for 1 ½ hours. Remove the chicken and onion from the pot and refrigerate until fully chilled and fat rises to the top. Skim fat and continue making the soup.
Make the soup in a large stock pot:
Cook until all veggies are soft. Remove all veggies except for about 3-5 carrots and a bit of the onions.
With an immersion blender, puree the soup with the remaining carrots and onion until it is completely smooth and has a beautiful orange color. Serve with matzah balls, rice or noodles. This soup freezes very well!
Time Saving Variation: Skip the initial broth step and proceed to the chicken soup recipe, adding bay leaves and skinned chicken that has been trimmed of fat. Continue with the recipe as directed, making sure to remove the chicken and bay leaves along with the vegetables, as prescribed above, before pureeing the soup.
Make the matzoh balls:
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cook in lightly salted water after forming balls, making sure that the pot has plenty of water. Cook for at least 30-40 minutes. Strain and add to the soup before serving.
Recipe by Delicious and Kosher at https://www.deliciousandkosher.com/kid-magnet-chicken-soup-with-matzah-balls/