5 from 2 votes
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Also known as Jewish penicillin, this easy chicken noodle soup is packed with healthy healing vegetables and herbs. It is truly the best simple base for an authentic matzo ball soup if you swap matzo balls (for the noodles) at your seder. It’s perfect paired with my fan-favorite gluten-free Passover brisket (100+ 5-star reviews)!
Since my branch of the family is not usually responsible for hosting Passover seder, the matzo ball soup is usually not made with gluten-free matzo balls, meaning I’m forced to create my own version outside the holiday to get my comfort food Jewish chicken soup fix.
Luckily, my husband and I try to keep a batch of gluten-free chicken broth in the fridge at all times to sip on, so going the extra few steps to making a full chicken noodle soup is not a terrible challenge. This version is relatively quick cooking and really maximizes the flavor of the vegetables while keeping the chicken chunks rustic and moist.
What is difference between Jewish chicken soup and regular chicken noodle soup?
Many families have recipes that have been handed down bubby to bubby over the generations, and they vary on ingredients. But here are the overarching things that tend to set Jewish penicillin and matzo ball soup apart from the regular chicken noodle soup you’ll buy from the grocery store.
For starters, I find that the flavor of celery is on the more dominant side, meaning more of it in the broth base and more chopped celery in the soup itself. Also, the broth tends to be on the lighter, clear side. I don’t usually brown my chicken pieces first for this reason, though you are welcome to to add more of a caramelized flavor.
Jewish chicken soup step by step
Whole chicken vs Pieces
You can make this Jewish chicken soup with any type of chicken, but I prefer to buy a whole chicken and break it down myself. For one thing, it’s cheaper! But the second reason is then I can save the carcass for future gluten-free chicken noodle soups.
I find it’s less unruly to cut the chicken into pieces while raw rather than put the whole chicken in the pot, but you can certainly do the latter. It will just take longer to cool once removed and be a little more cumbersome to shred the meat.
The second reason why I prefer to have pieces is that the breasts tend to cook faster than the dark meat. To make sure it remains juicy instead of dried out, I remove it at the 45 minute mark and let the chicken soup cook for another 15 minutes or so with the other pieces.
If not buying a whole chicken, you can get a mix of parts: I would recommend at least 2 thighs and 2 breasts (bone-in skin-on) so that you have ample meat to fold back into the soup. Wings and drums are great for bone broth that will simmer for hours (more bones!) but you don’t get a whole lot of meat for the soup itself.
While the matzo ball soup my family serves at seder tends to be mostly broth with a few flecks of carrot, a little chicken and a whole lot of matzo ball, this soup is very heavy on the fillings. This way, you can eat it year round, omit the noodles or matzo ball, and still feel like you’re getting a complete meal.
Gluten-free chicken soup herbs and add-in’s
I’ve kept this Jewish chicken soup fairly traditional, but if you wanted to gild the lily, additional seasonings that would be delicious include fennel seeds (also great for digestion!), saffron threads, or sliced fennel bulb.
To make this for a low FODMAP diet, simply omit the garlic, celery and onion.
Making Jewish chicken soup in advance for Passover
I’ve designed this recipe as a matzo ball soup base. You can make it start to finish up to a week in advance. But you can also break up the steps: make the broth one day, then finish the soup by simmering the vegetables the day of. The soup also freezes well.
Matzo balls or noodle variations
If turning this Jewish chicken soup into a matzo ball soup, I recommend boiling your matzo balls separately in a pot of salted water rather than cooking them directly in the broth (though you could). The reason for this is that the balls double in size during the boiling process and that leaves you with less broth to enjoy as part of your soup.
Making the matzo balls separately also allows you to split up the labor (per the above recommendation) and make the soup in advance, then the balls the day of. The matzo balls can also be cooked and stored separately from the soup. You don’t want them to absorb more liquid and get soggy or disintegrate.
Lastly, this is the way I wish my family did things for the sake of dietary restrictions! If you have someone who is gluten-free at your table, cooking the balls separately means they can still enjoy the chicken soup base without it getting contaminated.
To make this into a Jewish chicken noodle soup, the recipe below has instructions on when to add the noodles. A traditional option is egg noodles, though I have yet to find a gluten-free version. For a gluten-free chicken noodle soup, use spaghetti broken into smaller strands, or sub any short shape rice pasta you like.
For the matzo balls, you can reheat them in the soup broth right before serving or add them directly to bowls and top with the broth.
More gluten-free chicken recipes:
- Gluten-free cream of chicken soup
- Gluten-free chicken meatballs
- Gluten-free chicken stock
- Gluten-free chicken parmesan
- Gluten-free chicken tenders
Read on for this delicious Jew(ish) chicken soup!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Easy Jewish Chicken Soup (Noodles or Matzo Ball Optional)
5 from 2 votes
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Also known as Jewish penicillin, this easy chicken noodle soup is packed with healthy healing vegetables and herbs. It is truly the best simple base for an authentic matzo ball soup if you swap gluten-free matzo balls (for the pasta) at your seder. It’s perfect paired with my fan-favorite Passover brisket (100+ 5-star reviews)!
I prefer to start with a whole chicken and break it down myself so I can save the carcass for another batch of gluten-free chicken broth. Since this soup only cooks for an hour, you can easily save all the bones and vegetables for a second use. I usually freeze both together and use them as the base for my next soup.
We use the vegetables two ways in this recipe, first just broken in half for the broth, then thinly sliced later for the soup. For the celery, I would suggest using the tough outer stalks for the broth and saving the tender inner ones for the soup base since they tend to be daintier and more subtle.
See notes above in the post for other potential add-in’s for a less traditional Jewish chicken soup.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Lactose
Keyword chicken, soup
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour
Servings 8
Author Phoebe Lapine
Ingredients
- One whole 3 to 4 pound chicken, broken down into parts OR 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and 2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
- 1 medium onion or shallot skin-on and halved
- 1 pound carrots about 8 medium, divided
- 1 bunch celery about 10 stalks, divided
- 1 head garlic halved widthwise
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley divided
- 1 bunch dill divided
- 4 ounces Jewish egg noodles or regular spaghetti broken in half (optional)
- 1 batch gluten-free matzo balls for serving (optional)
Instructions
Make the broth: In a large (at least 6 quart) stockpot or Dutch oven, place the chicken parts in the bottom of your pan. Add the onion, half the carrots and half the celery (both broken in half lengthwise) to the pot, along with the garlic head, bay leaves, thyme, 2 teaspoons sea salt, and black pepper. Top with half the bunch of parsley and dill. Reserve the remaining herbs and vegetables for later.
Cover the ingredients with water by at least 1 inch (you should have minimum 12 cups of water).
Bring the Jewish chicken soup to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, for at least an hour. At the 45 minute mark, remove the chicken breasts, if using, and set aside. This prevents the white meat from overcooking. No one likes dry chicken in their matzo ball soup! When the broth is rich in color and flavor (after an hour), remove the remaining chicken pieces with tongs and set aside with the breasts.
Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a second large pot or bowl. If the latter, just add the broth back to the original pot. Discard the strained veggies and bones, or freeze them along with your chicken bones for another batch of stock down the road – they will still have more flavor to give!
While the broth simmers, prep the remaining veggies: thinly slice the carrots and celery. Some people like more rustic pieces, but I prefer a more refined look! Then, finely chop the remaining parsley and dill. Set aside.
Make the chicken soup: add the reserved chopped celery and carrots to the strained broth and bring to a gentle simmer again on the stove. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the broth has become more concentrated, about 30 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed.
Optional: if you’re making Jewish chicken noodle soup, add the egg noodles or spaghetti during the final 10 minutes that the broth is simmering.
When the chicken has cooled enough to touch, remove it from the bones with your fingers and break it into rustic chunks. Discard the skin and bones.
To serve, add the chicken meat back to the broth along with the chopped parsley and dill. Ladle the soup into bowls. If you’re making Jewish matzo ball soup, add 2 to 3 gluten-free matzo balls to each bowl. Garnish with any additional herbs, celery leaves or fresh cracked pepper. Alternatively, store the soup in the refrigerator or freezer for a future sick day or Jewish holiday!
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!
