Serves 10
To the traditional recipe she inherited from her maternal grandmother, Anna Edis, Dawn LaRochelle adds smoked chicken bones. You can make the soup without them too.
2
small carrots, 1 coarsely chopped and 1 cut into julienne strips 1 small stalk celery, coarsely chopped 6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves and stems 6 tablespoons snipped fresh dill, plus more for garnish Pinch of sugar (optional) 1 small zucchini, cut into julienne strips 1 small yellow squash, cut into julienne strips
In a soup pot, combine the water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken, neck, gizzard, and smoked chicken bones, if using. Lower the heat to a simmer. The soup should have tiny bubbles rising slowly to the surface; bubbles should not be large and vigorous. Simmer the soup, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the foam and other particles that rise to the surface. When there is no more foam, stir in the onion, chopped carrot, celery, parsley, and dill. Cover the pot and simmer, without stirring (to keep the broth from turning cloudy), for 2 hours.
2. Strain the soup into a bowl. Discard the vegetables, but reserve chicken. Taste for seasonings, and add salt, pepper, and sugar, if using.
3. Leave the soup to cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove the fat from the broth. (Fat may be used as schmaltz in the matzo ball recipe; see this page). Shred the reserved chicken.
4. In the soup pot, reheat the broth. Add the julienned carrot, zucchini, and yellow squash. Heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through, but not mushy.
5. Put a generous amount of shredded chicken and one or more matzo balls into each bowl. Ladle soup and vegetables around the matzo balls. Garnish with dill.
Adapted from Dawn LaRochelle
