Classic Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls Recipe

Soup:
1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken, giblets removed
2 stalks celery with leaves, halved
1 medium onion, quartered
3 carrots, peeled and halved
1 parsnip, peeled and halved
4 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
4 sprigs of fresh dill
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Matzo Balls:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unflavored seltzer or club soda
½ cup unsalted matzo meal

1. To prepare the soup, place chicken in an 8-quart stock pot. Add cold water to cover chicken completely. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 2 hours.
2. Remove chicken and vegetables and strain broth. (Save chicken for another use.) Refrigerate broth several hours or overnight.
3. To prepare the matzo balls, beat eggs with a whisk until lemon-colored. Add oil, salt and seltzer; beat well. Mix in matzo meal; do not overmix. Let stand a few minutes.
4. Fill stockpot halfway with water; bring to a boil. Wet hands and form matzo mixture into 8 balls. Reduce heat to low and drop balls into water. Cover pot and simmer 45 to 60 minutes. Matzo balls are done when white and fluffy in the center. If yellow, cook 10 more minutes.
5. To serve, scrape off the layer of fat from the top of broth; reheat. Add cooked matzo balls. Serves 8.

Recipe by Margo Rudman Gold, "Soup and the City," Relish Classic Dishes, Feb. 2008.

Per serving: 100 calories, 5g fat, 4g prot., 8g carbs., 0g fiber, 1510mg sodium.