CHICKEN SOUP & MATZAH BALLS

Serves: 4-6 Chicken Soup, aka Jewish penicillin, is one of the world’s great Keeps: 3 days in the fridge comfort foods. And now scientists have confirmed what Jewish Freeze: 3 months grandmothers have known for centuries – it’s good for you! Per serving: As a young wife making chicken soup and matzah balls (knaidlach) Soup 22 cals, 5 g carbs for her new husband Myer, Evelyn Rose discovered the hard way that Matzah balls 125 cals, 9 g carbs one family’s perfect knaidlach are another one’s cannonballs! If your family like them very soft, add an extra tablespoon each of and soup to the mixture. Using chicken bone broth adds a wonderful depth of flavour to the soup. We’ve also added some healthy twists to the matzah balls. Oat bran, undetectable in the finished matzah balls, helps lower cholesterol, and ground are a good source of vitamin E, which protects against UV light damage and Alzheimer’s. Almonds also contain monounsaturated that can reduce the risk of heart disease (if you’re allergic to nuts, use an extra 2 tablespoons of oat bran instead). Last but not least, we’ve replaced the traditional (chicken fat) or with heart-healthy .

For the soup To make the soup, thinly slice or finely dice the trimmed and peeled 1.75 litres (3 pints) carrots, leek, and celery. Put all the ingredients into a large soup pan Chicken Bone Broth (page 47) and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10- 15 minutes. 3 young carrots To make the matzah balls, whisk the eggs in a bowl with a rotary whisk white part of a leek or electric hand mixer for 2 minutes until light and frothy. Add all the 1-2 sticks celery remaining ingredients and mix gently with a fork until evenly blended. 5 grinds white or black pepper Your mixture should be moist and thick but not quite firm enough to form into balls. Pop it into the fridge, covered with clingfilm for half an For the matzah balls hour or so to firm up. 2 large eggs Half-fill a large soup pan with water and bring to a simmer. Take pieces 100 g (3 ½ oz) medium of the chilled mixture the size of a large walnut and roll into balls. If you or fine matzah meal first wet your palms very slightly, you’ll find you can make smoother, 30 g (1 oz) ground almonds rounder balls. Drop the balls into the simmering water, then cover and 1 tbsp oat bran simmer for 30-40 minutes without removing the lid. Transfer them to pinch ground ginger the simmering chicken soup with a slotted spoon and serve. ½ tsp fine sea salt 90 ml (6 tbsp) tepid chicken soup pinch of white pepper 60 ml (4 tbsp) olive oil JUDI’S TIP: to make the matzah balls ahead, cook then freeze them on a baking paper-lined tray until solid, then store in a sealed freezer bag. They can be reheated from frozen in the simmering soup.

Recipe is extracted from the book ‘To Life! Healthy Jewish Food’ by Judi Rose and Dr Jackie Rose