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Just Between Us

SOUP WEEK: Our Staff’s Tips For The BEST Chicken Soup Ever!

Kosher.com Staff October 31, 2022

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Rorie Weisberg (Host of Living Full ’n Free):

Add turkey necks to your chicken soup. I do, and they add such amazing flavor. Then cook low and slow.

Because nobody likes mushy frozen-and-reheated vegetables, I freeze only extra broth, then reheat it to a boil and add smaller chunks of fresh carrot, celery, and zucchini. Simmer for a few hours and enjoy an even richer soup than the first time around!

 

Naomi Nachman (Host of Sunny Side Up):

 

I am a big chicken soup person! I make a big batch of it every week (16 quarts to be exact), and freeze about 2 to 3 quarts when it’s done cooking before Shabbat. Along with classic ingredients like celery, carrots, parsnip, turnip, zucchini, parsley, dill, chicken, and onions, my trick is to use 1 beet and 1 strip of flanken, which gives it a wonderful deep and rich flavor.

 
I boil my soup all day, from around 8 a.m. to right before Shabbat. The best-tasting chicken soup is boiled all day long, so don’t skip that step.

Another tip I have is to reserve the “pan juices” when you bake simply roasted chicken thighs. Put the juice in a cup and refrigerate so the fat separates to the top. Remove the fat and discard. At this point I freeze the leftover chicken juice and save for later. I either add it to the 2 to 3 quarts in my freezer when I’m ready to use them, or into a smaller fresh batch of soup I happen to be making, for extra flavor.

 

Esty Wolbe (Host of Easy Does It):

Simple ingredients and a very long time simmering on the stove. The longer, the better. I use chicken pieces or bones, lots of carrots and celery, 2 whole onions and a few garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for hours and hours. The reward is an addictive, rich, golden broth.

 

Shani Seidman (CMO at Kayco Kosher Foods):

Lots of chicken and veggies, veggies veggies. Also, Hungarian paprika creates a golden orange color; you eat with your eyes, so I find a nice color in the soup makes it taste more savory.

 

Goldy Guttman (Kosherdotcom Director):

 

I add a whole plum tomato to my chicken soup! I think it helps deepen the golden color.

 

Chanie Nayman (Kosherdotcom Editor in Chief):

 

Chicken soup for me is hit or miss. Sometimes it comes out amazing, and sometimes it needs some support to get it there. I like putting in a whole chicken (as opposed to just wings, chicken bones etc). I also like putting in a handful of garlic cloves. I think the most important thing is the herbs I add in the last hour or so of the cooking.

 

Rachel Kor (Kosherdotcom Managing Lifestyle Editor):

I use simple and classic ingredients and cook my soup all day long (the longer the better). I make sure not to skimp on the kosher salt because it really brings out the flavors. I’ll serve it with fresh lemon slices for anyone who wants to add a bit of fresh tang.

 

Renee Schwartz (Kosherdotcom Recipe Editor):

 

I cook my chicken soup on low overnight. Well-caramelized onions also add an unreal rich flavor.

 

I always season with a shake of cumin. It helps the soup taste more developed, even if it was thrown together.

 

Talia Sabag (Associate Marketing Manager at Kayco Kosher Foods):

 

My secrets come down to the ingredients inside the soup. I use leeks, celery root, and a whole chicken AND a bag of chicken bones for a rich, hearty flavor. I also leave the lid slightly off – the result is a clear broth (no cloudy soup here!)

 

Nechama Fink (Kosherdotcom Back End Management Assistant):

I add a bunch of onions in whole, which adds to the taste and is delicious to eat. I also find that using chicken thighs is the best part to use for taste. And lastly, cooking it for longer than many recipes say.