Jewish chicken soup is usually served with thin egg noodles or with matzah balls. The zucchini is my, not MGM's addition.

　　

Ingredients

Yield: about 10 servings (M)

　　4 quarts water

　　1 large cut-up chicken, preferably stewing or large roaster

　　Marrow bones (optional)

　　2 whole onions, unpeeled

　　4 parsnips, peeled and left whole

　　1/2 cup chopped celery leaves plus 2 stalks celery and their leaves

　　2 stalks celery and their leaves

　　1 rutabaga, peeled and quartered

　　1 large turnip, peeled and quartered

　　1 kohlrabi, quartered (optional)

　　6 carrots, peeled and left whole

　　6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

　　6 tablespoons snipped dill

　　1 tablespoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon pepper

　　1 zucchini

　　

Step 1

1. Put the water and the chicken in a large pot and bring the water to a boil. Skim off the froth.

　　

Step 2

2. Add the marrow bones, onions, parsnips, celery, 3/4 of the rutabaga, turnip, kohlrabi, 4 of the carrots, the parsley, 4 tablespoons of the dill, and the salt and pepper. Cover and simmer of 2 1/2 hours, adjusting the seasoning to taste.

　　

Step 3

3. Strain, remove the chicken, discard the vegetables and refrigerate the liquid to solidify. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and cut the meat into bite-size chunks. Refrigerate. Remove the fat from the soup.

　　

Step 4

4. Just before serving, reheat the soup. Bring to a boil. Cut the zucchini and the remaining 2 carrots into thin strips and add to the soup along with the remaining rutabaga cut into thin strips as well as a few pieces of chicken. Simmer about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked, but still firm. Serve with the remaining snipped dill. You can also add noodles, marrow, or clos (matzah) balls.

　　Reprinted with permission from Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan. © 1998 Knopf