Dill-infused Chicken Soup With Herbed Matzo Ball "Gnocchi"
Serves 7 quarts of soup and 50 gnocchi
The fluffy emerald dumplings in this elegant soup are a far cry from the “sinkers” of yore.
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 2 1/4 hours
Chill Time: 8 hours
Ingredients:
For the soup:
| 1 |
4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces |
1 |
pound of chicken wings |
| 6 |
large celery stalks, trimmed |
6 |
large or 8 medium carrots (about 2 pounds), peeled and trimmed |
| 1 |
bunch leeks, green parts removed, whites sleaned carefully |
2 |
parsnips (about 3/4 pound), trimmed |
| 1 |
turnip, peeled |
1 |
bunch dill, tied into a bunch with kitchen twine |
| 11/2 |
tablespoons salt |
|
|
For the "Gnocchi":
| 4 |
cups (2 ounces) spinach leaves |
1/4 |
cup flat-leaf parsley leaves |
| 1/4 |
cup dill sprigs |
2 |
large eggs |
| 2 |
tablespoons canola oil |
1 |
teaspoon salt |
| 1 |
cup matzo meal |
|
|
- For the Soup: Rinse chicken parts and tie into a bundle in a triple layer of cheesecloth. Place in an 8- to 10-quart stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a vigorous simmer, and cook 10 minutes, skimming foam and scum from top of soup as it cooks.
- Add celery, carrots, leeks, parsnips, and turnip to pot. Fill pot with cold water, leaving 2 inches at top. Bring soup back to a boil, and skim an additional 5 minutes. Reduce to a simmer, place tied dill on top of soup, cover with lid, and cook soup until broth is a light golden color, 2–3 hours.
- Uncover soup and discard dill. Remove chicken parts in cheesecloth, place in a bowl, and drain liquid back into soup pot. Strain broth, reserving vegetables and broth in separate containers. Chill broth 8 hours or overnight. Let chicken come to room temperature.
- Open cheesecloth and discard wings and all chicken skin. Remove meat from bones, discard bones, and shred chicken for soup. Refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to serve soup, remove fat from top of broth and reheat over medium heat. Slice vegetables, discarding any that are too mushy. Reheat vegetables and chicken in broth for about 10 minutes.
- For the “gnocchi”: Place spinach, parsley, and dill in a food processor and process until very finely minced and almost liquefied, scraping down sides of processor once if necessary, about 20–30 seconds. Add eggs and oil; process until all ingredients are combined, about 30 seconds. Remove mixture to a bowl and add salt and matzo meal; stir until all ingredients are incorporated, then chill in refrigerator, covered, about 20 minutes.
- Using lightly moistened hands, take 1 tablespoon mixture at a time and roll into 3-inch-by-1/2-inch logs. Using a bench scraper or a knife, cut logs into 1-inch lengths. Bring 1 large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in three batches, lower “gnocchi” into water. Return water to a boil, reduce heat to a vigorous simmer, and cook until gnocchi are tender and cooked through, 13–15 minutes. Remove from water using a slotted spoon.
- To serve, ladle soup and vegetables into bowls and float 5–6 gnocchi on top.
