Chicken Soup is Indeed Good for the Soul

I have been spoiled when it comes to chicken soup. Growing up, I always looked forward to my Bubby's homemade chicken soup with matzo balls and noodles. We would have it at most family dinners and since we lived next door to her, she would make it for my sister and I whenever we were sick. I remember ordering it in a restaurant once and telling my parent's I couldn't eat it because it "tasted like cat food". No soup compared to hers.

Now that I cook my own shabbat dinner, I love making my own chicken soup. I generally make mine in a pressure cooker, but the recipe can easily be adapted for a stockpot.

Ingredients 
2-4 carrots, peeled and quartered
3 ribs of celery, quartered
1 parsnip, peeled and quartered
3-6 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 onion, peeled
1 tbs peppercorns
1 bunch of dill
1 bunch of parsley
1 1/2 pounds chicken bones
1 1/2 pounds  turkey necks
salt to taste 

I like to use chicken bones because they are cheap and produce great flavor. You can usually get chicken bones at the butcher or meat counter at your local market. I find that turkey necks also add a lot of flavor as well.

Put all the ingredients in a pressure cooker or stockpot. If using a pressure cooker, fill the pressure cooker 2/3rds of the way full with water (just barely covering all the ingredients). In a stockpot, fill to cover all the ingredients, about eight cup of water.

Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and bring to a boil. Bring down to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes. If using a stockpot, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered for at least 5 hours, the longer the better.

For the pressure cooker: When the soup is ready, follow your pressure cooker's instructions to relieve the pressure.

Strain the soup, reserving the carrots and onion. Pick the meat off the chicken bones. Refrigerate the soup overnight.

When you take the soup out of the refrigerator, you will see that a layer of fat has accumulated on top of the soup.

Remove the fat from the top layer of the soup. Reheat the soup, onion, chicken and carrots. Serve with egg noodles, matzo balls or on it's own.