Very Secret Chicken Soup with 3 Secret Ingredients

Shhh! Don't tell anyone. I'm about to divulge an ancient family secret. I only dare publish this recipe here, because my mother doesn't know how to use the internet!

One Hour In

Taste this version  and you will never want to order from a restaurant or deli again.

The reason why? Secret ingredients one and two! They are very expensive and hard to come by: Time and Patience!

It doesn't take long to put the ingredients together, but the flavors wake up most richly over hours and days of simmering.

Another important note: get your beef and chicken from a Jewish butcher. Did I say beef? Yes, that is the 3rd secret ingredient to "chicken" soup. Beef.

Sniff Test

Here we go.

1 whole Soup Chicken (throw out heart & liver)
1 piece of Flanken (I don't even know what this is, but ask for it at the kosher butcher when you buy the soup chickens). If you can't get flanken, use beef short ribs instead.

Clean all the chicken and meat in hot water. Put in a very large stockpot.

Add all of the below in chunks:
1 large peeled onion
1 peeled parsnip
1 peeled turnip
3-4 celery stalk
bunch of parsley
bunch of dill
bunch of leeks (rinse these very well and remove outer layer, for they can be sandy, and you do not want any grit)
Add 3 quarts of water per chicken.

I usually double the above recipe.

You'll notice that there is no salt included in the recipe. We've found it best to salt individually per taste/bowl. Also, the key here is simmering. Too little and the soup will not be rich in flavor. The soup is ready when it is truly a golden yellow color.

Five Hours In- the color is nearing perfection...

Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 3 hours, until all the meat and vegetables are tender. I prefer to let this simmer longer (4 or 5 hours).

Let soup cool. Remove all the meat, bones, and vegetables. Strain the soup from one pot into another, repeatedly, until the soup color looks clear.

Refrigerate overnight.

Next day, remove most of the fat from the tap of the soup. Reheat until warm. Can be served on this, the 2nd or 3rd day, or frozen.  Use as stock, or serve with matzoh balls and egg noodles.