Lillian Bart's Chicken Soup

from The Orange County Register
September 6, 2007

Yield: About 6 quarts

8-10 pounds carrots, trimmed, peeled
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into fourths
1 green bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into fourths
3-4 large onions, peeled, halved
1 large bunch celery, washed, separated
3 large parsnips, trimmed, peeled
1 large bunch parsley
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large turnip, peeled and cut into fourths
1 piece flanken, about 3/4 pound; see cook's notes
4-5 kosher roasting chickens, cleaned and cut into fourths, divided use
Bottled water
2-3 large bunches fresh dill
Optional: 2 kosher chickens, cut into fourths
For serving: matzo balls, lukshen (thin noodles) or mandlen (soup nuts)

Cook's notes: Flanken are strips of beef from the chuck end of short ribs. Broth can be
frozen or stored in refrigerator up to 2 days. When reheating broth
that has been refrigerated for 2 days, bring to boil and boil 5
minutes.

Procedure:

1. Divide vegetables, flanken and 2-3 chickens between two large soup pots. Add enough bottled water to barely cover ingredients. On high heat, bring to simmer; reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Skim foam. Simmer until chicken is cooked and tender. Remove cooked chicken and place in bowl to cool. Add more uncooked chicken and repeat process until all chicken is cooked. Add dill last 30 minutes of simmering. Refrigerate cooled, cooked chicken. (Nibble on flanken or, heaven forbid, discard.)

2. Remove and reserve carrots. Strain soup through large sieve, pressing down firmly on vegetables. Discard any vegetables pieces left in sieve. Refrigerate broth. Fat will congeal on top of broth during chilling.

3. Remove fat from broth. If desired (to supercharge broth with chicken flavor) return broth to pots. Add optional chicken and simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender. Remove chicken. Strain broth through sieve.

4. Return broth to heat. Taste and if needed add pepper or salt (remember kosher chicken tends to be salty). Slice carrots and add to broth. Add matzo balls and either cooked lukshen (thin noodles) or, on Passover, mandlen.

Nutritional information (per 1 cup serving without flanken or noodles): calories 298 (22 percent from fat), protein 33 g, carbohydrates 24.7 g, fat 7.2 g, cholesterol 99 mg, sodium 192 mg

Source: Lillian Bart