The Handed-Down-Through-the-Generations Chicken Soup With Matzoh Balls Recipe

Submitted by TinyCoconut

They don't call this Jewish penicillin for nothing!

one whole chicken, plus extra parts if you're making a big pot
carrots
turnips
parsnips
celery (with the leaves..the more leaves the better)
one bunch of dill
one bunch of parsley
4 eggs (for matzoh balls)
5 tbsp oil (for matzoh balls; I use canola oil)
1½ cups matzoh meal (for matzoh balls)
2 tsp salt
½ cup warm water

To make the soup: Clean the chicken; keep the neck, pupik, any other hard stuff; get rid of liver, fat, kidneys and membranes. Run water through until clean. Place in large pot.
Run cold water into pot; bring to a boil. Skim foam off. (Note: I find it easier to figure out how much water to use by putting however much chicken I have into the pot first, then covering with water plus a couple of inches. Once it's in, I just leave it there while the water comes to a boil.)
Wash dill and parsley and tie together. Chop carrots. Peel turnips and parsnips. Use leaves from celery and some of the stalks as well, cut into pieces. Put all this into the pot along with chicken. (You should also add a whole onion, skinned, though I don't because we have an onion allergy in the family!)
Boil over low heat for several hours. If you want, you can let it cool overnight, then skim the fat from the top.
To make the matzoh balls: Beat eggs and oil together well. Add water; mix again. Add salt and stir.
Add matzoh meal. Amount given in recipe is approximate; what you want is just enough to form a thick batter, but not too thick.
Place batter in refrigerator for several hours. About half an hour before serving soup, make the batter into balls and drop them into the soup. (To keep the sticky batter from sticking to your hands, wet them frequently with cold water while rolling out the balls.)
This recipe makes about a dozen decent-sized matzoh balls. For more, double or triple the ingredients. (I ALWAYS triple the ingredients! My family LOVES matzoh balls.) Enjoy!