Growing up, this is the soup that my mother made for my siblings and me. It is a pure and rich broth, delicious with rice, pasta, asian noodles or matzoh balls. I make a big pot of this a few times a month which provides some meals, and freeze what’s left over as stock for cooking. Best of all, my children love this soup as much as I have all my life.

Ready

• Whole Chicken (about 3 lbs)
• 2 cloves of garlic (pealed)
• Rice, pasta, noodles, or matzoh balls, etc

Set

• Stock pot
• Ladle
• Strainer
• Sieve
• Tongs or fork

Go

1. Place whole chicken in stock pot (make sure there are no innards stored in the cavity of chicken.)
2. Fill pot with cold water ¾ths of the way to the top.
3. Peel and add 2 whole cloves of garlic.
4. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 1-1 ½ hours.
5. Turn burner off and let slightly cool. With fork or tongs, remove some cooked white meat/breast meat from chicken — place aside.
6. Return pot to stove and simmer soup for another 3-4 hours.
7. Cool on stove for several hours.
8. Place pot in refrigerator overnight. Skim hardened fat with strainer off top of soup the next day.
9. Strain soup with sieve. Add back white meat that was put aside; add dark meat if you prefer.
10. Salt and pepper to taste.
11. Add steamed rice, pasta, noodles or matzoh balls.

What you should know

I like to shred the white meat chicken to be served in the soup. Prepare the rice, pasta, noodles, matzoh balls separately. Optional: I often add a few beaten eggs for a heartier soup.