Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

9-11 servings

Ingredients

For the Soup

• 1 pound whole chicken
• 3 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
• 3 turnips, peeled and quartered
• 6 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 5 celery stalks with greens, roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• About 10 fresh parsley sprigs
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1-2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder 
• Salt
• White pepper

For the Matzo Balls

• 1 box Streit's Matzo Ball Mix
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs

For Serving

• 4 carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley or dill

Instructions

For the Soup

1. Place the chicken, onions, turnips, carrots and celery in a large 12-quart stock pot and add enough water to fill the pan almost to the top, 6-8 quarts. Bring to boil. Let the soup boil gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes, skimming off any froth or scum as it forms. Reduce the heat to low and add the bay leaves, parsley sprigs, celery seed, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Cover and simmer 3-1/2 hours more. (Note: if you want to use the chicken in the finished soup or for another purpose, remove the chicken from the soup after 90 minutes, pull the meat off the bone and return the carcass to the pot.) Let the soup cool on the stovetop until the pot is no longer hot; then place the soup pot in the refrigerator overnight.
2. The next day, remove the pot from the refrigerator and skim most -- but not all -- of the fat from the surface of the soup. Using tongs, remove the chicken from the soup and discard. Place a colander over a large bowl or pot, and pour the soup through the colander to strain out all the vegetables. Discard the vegetables (they will be too mushy to serve with the soup). Place a fine mesh strainer over a smaller soup pot and strain the soup again to be sure the broth is clear. Discard the remaining solids. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.

For the Matzo Balls

1. Follow the instructions on the package to combine the oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the package ingredients and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Wet your hands and gently roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls (do not compact!). Drop the matzo balls into the boiling water. Bring back to a boil, then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 30 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the matzo balls to a large plate or tupperware container. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Note: if you're making the matzo balls at the last minute, you can transfer them right from the boiling water into the chicken soup.)

For Serving

1. Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the chicken bouillon powder, along with more salt and pepper to taste. (The amount of seasoning you add will depend on your personal preference and on how much water you used. I like a well-seasoned soup, so I add about 2 tablespoons of bouillon powder, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper -- just add the seasoning gradually, tasting as you go, until the soup tastes flavorful.)
2. Add the carrots and cooked matzo balls and simmer until the carrots are cooked and the matzo balls are hot throughout -- both are ready when they float to the surface. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley or dill.