Traditional Jewish Chicken Soup Recipe: (2024)

  1. Stovetop Instructions:

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. Ladle the soup in bowls to serve and garnish the tops with chopped fresh parsley or dill.

  11. Serves 4-6

  12. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instructions:

  13. Place a trivet with handles facing upwards inside the inner pot.

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  21. 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.

  22. Ladle the soup into bowls to serve and garnish the tops with chopped fresh parsley or dill.

  23. Serves 4-6

Traditional Jewish Chicken Soup Recipe: (2024)

FAQs

What is considered 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 ...

What is Jewish soup made of? ›

Return the broth to a boil. Add carrots, potatoes, leeks, celery, kohlrabi, and parsnips. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in cooked chicken and bouillon.

Why is Jewish chicken soup good for you? ›

Since Maimonedes' time, chicken soup has been prescribed by grandmothers and doctors alike. But many believe there really is evidence to support the prescription. As chicken cooks, it releases an amino acid resembling properties in medicine used to fight infections such as bronchitis.

Why does Grandma's chicken soup work when you are sick? ›

The famous chicken soup study from 2000 focused on its impact on inflammation. “The 2000 study basically found that chicken soup inhibited neutrophil chemotaxis, which is a fancy way of saying it helped temporarily decrease inflammation so those who were sick could temporarily breathe easier,” Pike said.

Is chicken soup like an 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.

What is the most common Jewish blood group? ›

However, studies have shown that the most common blood type among European Jews is O+.

Can Jewish people eat chicken soup? ›

For many Jews, chicken soup still remains synonymous with medicine and healing. For me, it's synonymous with home, and the only dish worth breaking my vegetarianism for.

What is the Jewish proverb soup? ›

Jewish Proverb - Worries go down better with soup than without.

What is Jewish chicken fat called? ›

A staple of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking, schmaltz—rendered chicken fat—adds rich flavor to the dishes it's used in.

Is it OK to eat chicken soup everyday? ›

Hence, a bowl of chicken soup can be a great addition in your daily diet. Other key ingredients in a chicken soup include onions, garlic and additional vegetables that add flavour and a healthy dose of important nutrients that is needed for a well-functioning immune system.

Which part of chicken is healthiest for soup? ›

Which chicken part is best for soup? Both chicken thighs and breasts work well in soup. Just make sure to remove the skin so the soup doesn't become too fatty.

What is the Jewish tradition sin chicken? ›

Traditionally, during Kaporos, a live chicken is swung over the head of a practitioner three times while a prayer is recited and the sins of the practitioner are symbolically transferred to the chicken.

What is the best broth to drink when sick? ›

Bone broth is a rich source of nutrients which can help shorten the duration of a cold or flu. Electrolytes are the main benefit. Bone broth is full of potassium and magnesium, which help shorten the duration of flu symptoms because they replenish the lost fluids better than anything else.

What is in chicken soup that makes you feel better when you re sick? ›

Chicken is especially rich in a compound called carnosine, and it's this that studies suggest helps reduce that stuffy, congested feeling in your nose and throat. It's thought that carnosine minimises inflammation in the upper respiratory tract by stopping the migration of white blood cells.

Why does homemade chicken soup make you feel better? ›

Chicken is also high in tryptophan, which helps your body produce serotonin that can enhance your mood and give you the feeling of 'comfort' that helps make chicken noodle soup a true comfort food,” Allonen says.

What is the Jewish cold remedy? ›

Chicken soup, ginger tea, mustard plasters. And for those with family roots in Eastern Europe – a drink known as gogl-mogl. Also called goggle-moggle, kogel mogel, guggle muggle, גאָגל-מאָגל, the drink is basically like a hot eggnog, or sabayon, thinned out to be drinkable.

Why is it called penicillin soup? ›

It has been renowned for relieving colds and nourishing pregnant women, and has even been said to cure asthma and leprosy — as the 12th century Jewish philosopher and physician Maimonides claimed in his book “On the Cause of Symptoms.” Hence the well-earned nickname of “Jewish penicillin.”

Is the pill allowed in Judaism? ›

The methods of contraception allowed under Jewish law are those that do not damage the sperm or stop it getting to its intended destination. These are the contraceptive pill and the IUD.

What is the Jewish religion of medicine? ›

Jewish interest in medicine has a religious motivation with the preservation of health and life as religious commandments in the Holy Scriptures. Despite a basic belief that God caused disease and effected cures with physicians as agents, Jews accepted the rational medicine of ancient Greece.

References

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