I'm Jewish, I have the card for that joke.
When I was in high school, I was sent to the nurse with a high fever. Of course, I couldn't stay, and the nurse had to call my mother to pick me up (which is such upsetting news to any student who hated school like I did). My parents were both at work and were frantically trying to find someone to get me. Luckily, my mother's best friend swooped in to the rescue.
Shortly after, a miracle happened. It wasn't the fact that she was a nurse as well and was more certified than anyone to help me. It wasn't the fact that New York finally had no traffic on the full ride home that day. It was more shocking than all of that.
She made me soup.
Now to those who don't know her, that sounds unimpressive. But to those who do? I can hear your gasp through the screen.
She has the most gastronomically advanced palette I have ever witnessed, yet she never steps foot in the kitchen. As a cook, she's the ideal person to feed though. She'll try everything, savor and ponder the work put into each dish, and tell you exactly how incredible or horrible your dish is with just one look.
What makes this incredibly ironic is that her broth was my first introduction to an Ashkenazi Jewish chicken broth. Our family typically keeps our broth simple--chicken and salt (maybe an occasional carrot if we don't want it to go to waste), so to see a broth so heavily loaded with vegetables and herbs alongside it? Wow.
And you know what? I did feel better after it, so I guess the whole chicken soup cures all is true.
Recently, I decided to make my own version after researching and testing out different recipes. It adds some smokiness through the roasted chicken and garlic, some pepperiness from the toasted peppercorns, and a beautiful color from the skins of all the veggies I kept in. One thing I forgot to add that was in the original--parsnip. So, if you have it in your fridge, toss it in!
It doesn't beat her broth simply cause it was made with so much love, but it will hopefully come close.
Brilliant BFF Broth
Ingredients
Serves 4 people (or 1 sick person who better finish it all!)
4 chicken thighs, skin and bone on
1 large yellow onion, halved
2 medium carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 medium celery stalks, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 large handful of parsley, whole
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1 tbsp olive oil
2 quarts water
salt to taste
Steps
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a flat baking tray, add half of the garlic, onion, and chicken thighs. Drizzle oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Mix to coat. Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes (or until they get a nice char on it. Garlic burns quickly, so I recommend keeping it separate from the onions and chicken in the tray. That way you can just grab a spoon and scoop it out if you see it getting a little too dark).
In a small pan over medium-low heat, toast your peppercorns until fragrant. Around 3 minutes.
Once your roasted items are ready, add it in to a large stock pot along with all the other ingredients. Pour 1/2 c of water into the roasting tray to scrape up all the residual juices or "burnt goodies" as I call it. Once it's scraped, add that into the pot as well.
Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil,
Once boiling, lower to a simmer (or low). You want just a few bubbles coming up in the liquid. Cook for 4-6 hours and be sure to periodically skim the gunk off the top (this keeps the broth clear).
Taste and add salt accordingly.
Strain and serve with egg noodles and shredded chicken (don't waste the chicken from the broth, use it here!). You can also just store it in the fridge if you need it for another recipe.
Substitution Suggestions
Vegan: Omit the chicken. Can add mushrooms and turnip.
Vegetarian: Omit the chicken. Can add mushrooms and turnip.
Gluten-Free: This dish is gluten free. If you wish to serve it, substitute egg noodles for your favorite gluten-free version or you can use rice or potatoes.
Dairy-Free: This dish is dairy free.
Kosher: This dish is kosher.
Halal: This dish is halal.
No Parsley: Use cilantro or dill.
No Celery or Carrots: Can use fennel, turnip, daikon, and/or parsnips.
No Onions: Can use leeks, scallions, shallots, chives, or 1 tbsp onion powder.
No Chicken Thighs: Any part of the chicken works except skinless breasts. If you have a carcass or bones, roast that entirely and add it to the pot. If you have anything else, roast half and the other half keep raw when you add it to the pot.
No Peppercorns: Use 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper.
No Garlic: Use chives or 1 tsp garlic powder.
No Olive Oil: Any neutral oil works: Grapeseed Oil, Avocado Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Vegetable Oil, Canola Oil
Any other substitutions you'd like? How did you end up serving it? Let me know below!
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