(Use organic ingredients where possible)
1 chicken (5 pounds) cut into pieces
2 whole yellow onions, peeled
3 to 4 quarts of spring water
½ pound of carrots
6 celery stalks cut into 2-inch chunks
1 whole, peeled celery root, halved
4 parsnips peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 fresh parsley sprigs, coarsely chopped
4 whole garlic cloves
1 handful of Swiss chard, coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or less if your palate is over-sensitive to spicy food)
Add sea salt to taste at the table – if you are not on a sodium restricted diet
In a large soup pot combine all the ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Uncover and simmer for another half hour.
Strain out the chicken and veggies from the soup. Remove the meat from the bones and return to the soup. Serve steamy with matzo balls.
This soup will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator. If fat hardens at the top of the soup, remove and discard.
For my homemade matzo ball recipe, e-mail [email protected]