Chicken Soup with Matza Balls

Chicken Soup is known in my house as Jewish penicillin.  So anytime someone feels under the weather I make it.  I feel nothing goes better with chicken soup as matzo balls.  So, both my girls have the sniffles and what popped into my head?  Chicken soup with matzo balls.

Here is what you'll need for the chicken soup:

• Chicken parts ( i usually use drumsticks)
• 6 carrots
• 4 celery stalks
• 1 turnip
• 1 parsnip
• bunch of dill
• 1 medium onion
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder

Cut the carrots and celery into 1/2 inch pieces, and quarter the onion

Add the carrots, celery, onion, parsnip and turnip to a soup pot as well as the chicken parts.  

Fill the pot with water until all the veggies and chicken are covered.  Add salt and pepper as well as garlic powder.  

Cover the pot and let simmer for at least 1 hour.  I like to let it simmer slowly for more time than an hour as I feel it adds to the taste of the soup.  When there is 15 minutes until you plan to serve the soup add the dill.  I like to tie the dill with some string because it makes it easier to remove once cooked.  

When ready to serve the soup use a slotted spoon take the chicken out of the soup as well as the dill, turnip, onion and parsnip.  

While the soup is cooking start the matzo balls.

Here is what you'll need for the Matzo balls:

What you'll need: 

• 1 cup matzo meal
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup water

(this recipe should yield 6-8 matzo balls)

Mix all the ingredients together and cover with plastic wrap for one hour in the refrigerator.

Boil a large pot of water when there is about 10 minutes left until you would like to make the matzo balls.  

Once the pot of water is boiling wet your hands in the sink.  Take a small amount of matzo mixture and roll in your hand to make a ball.  I find that having your hands wet makes it easier to create a ball and the mixture does not stick to your hands as much.  Before each ball I roll I wet my hands.

When the ball is made place it in the boiling water.  Continue to do this until all the mixture is used.  Once all the mixture is used, mix the pot of matzo balls gently to get some of the balls off the bottom of the pot (sometimes they sink).  Allow the matzo balls to boil for 30 minutes.

Voila...a very yummy Matzo Ball!

With a slotted spoon take each matzo ball out of the water and place into the finished chicken soup.  I usually have the matzo balls and the soup simmer together for about 15 minutes so the matzo balls can soak up some of the tasty soup.