Warming Up The Hearth With Chicken Soup
Brrr … it’s cold outside. Though it may have taken its time to arrive, winter is certainly upon us now. When the weather is biting, the cold seems to go right through your body. It chills your bones, numbs your senses. This is reflected even in halacha: a person suffering from severe cold is likened to the status of a choleh, a sick person. Hibernation aside, when the thermometer drops, I delight not only in big woolen sweaters, but in hearty soups and stews bound to warm the soul.
“Marak,” the Hebrew word for soup, is derived from the word “mareik,” which means to cleanse. When a soup is being cooked, the ingredients are cleansed and the impurities released. Think of your chicken soup: the fat rises to the top and is skimmed off. Take it a step further. Perhaps consuming soup cleanses a person’s ailments. Chicken soup, the classic home remedy, goes back way further than one would imagine. The Talmud mentions R’ Abba, who was said to have consumed fowl that was soaked in hot water as a remedy (Shabbos145b). Maimonides prescribed chicken soup as a cure for individuals suffering from hemorrhoids (Treatise on Hemorrhoids). To this day, chicken soup is associated with curing the common cold. As the flu and common colds run their course through the winter, I like to make sure there is always a quart of “liquid gold” in the freezer.
My own chicken soup practices have continued to evolve over the years. Bones versus chicken parts, or both. The length of simmering elongating, low and slow, getting better and richer like a fine wine.
The best soups are made with the good, pure ingredients, so use plenty of vegetables (feel free to add your own favorites as well!) and a good proportion of bones and chicken parts. A good soup can restore your health and mood on the coldest of days, arming you with renewed strength and energy. Make a big pot and don’t forget to freeze an extra container for a chilly night or for a neighbor in need.
Bubby’s Chicken Soup
Chicken Soup in the pot
Looking to scale up your soup for a crowd? Using the following formula makes it easy: for each additional 2 servings, add 1 leg quarter, 2 and 1/4 cups of water, and some additional vegetables. Chicken bones can be used instead (or in addition) to leg quarters.
Cook’s Tip: Place herbs in a small garnet bag for easy straining.
Yield: Serves 6-8
4 chicken leg quarters (or 3 pounds chicken bones)
10 cups water
1 onion, quartered
1 turnip, peeled and trimmed
2 parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and cut in half
5-6 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut in half
3-4 stalks celery, trimmed and cut in thirds
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
1/2 bunch fresh dill
2-3 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Place chicken and cool water in large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Foam and impurities will begin to rise to the surface; skim off and discard using a small sieve or spoon.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for at least 2 and 1/2 -3 hours or up to 6 hours (or even overnight, but add a little more water). Remove from heat to cool.
When the soup is cool enough to handle, pour through a fine strainer or colander set over another pot; sift out and discard chicken bones, skin, and any unwanted vegetables. Return the desired vegetables and chicken pieces (separated from the bones) to the pot with broth.
Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with matzo balls or fine lokshen noodles.
Naomi Ross is a cooking instructor and food writer based in Woodmere, NY. She teaches classes throughout the country and writes articles connecting good cooking and Jewish inspiration. Her first cookbook, The Giving Table, was released in December 2022. Follow her at @naomirosscooks on Instagram/FB/TikTok or visit NaomiRossCooks.com.
