Chicken Soup With Matzo Balls

Ingredients

For the Chicken Stock:

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil

2 (48-ounce) containers of chicken broth, 1/2 cup reserved

4 cups cold water

1 whole roasted chicken, broken down juices included, with 1 1/2 cups meat shredded and reserved

4 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

6 celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, smashed

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

2 fresh thyme sprigs

For the Matzo Balls:

1 cup matzo meal

4 eggs

1/4 cup refined coconut oil (without taste)

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup chicken stock

dash of black pepper

dash of ground nutmeg

For the Soup:

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 1/2 cups reserved shredded chicken

1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped

Preparation

For the Chicken Stock: Place a large stock pot over high heat. Add the olive oil, chicken stock, water, roasted chicken including juices, bones and skin (minus the reserved shredded meat), carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leafs, peppercorns and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil, Reduce the heat to a medium simmer and cook for about 2 hours.

For the Matzo Balls: While the stock is cooking, make the matzo balls. In a medium size mixing bowl, add the matzo meal, eggs, coconut oil, the 1/2 cup reserved chicken stock, salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Mix well to blend. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours while the stock is cooking.

To Finish the Stock: Once the stock is done cooking, turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Using a fine mesh strainer, carefully strain the stock into a large bowl, pushing down on all the solids with a wooden spoon to extract all the juices. Discard the solids. Season the stock to taste with salt and pepper. Return the stock back to the large stockpot and place over medium heat and bring back to a simmer. Add the sliced carrots and reserved shredded chicken and cook till the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

To Finish the Matzo Balls: Fill a medium stock pot half way with water and bring to a boil. While the water is heating, remove the matzo ball mixture for the refrigerator and using your hands, form into even balls, about 1 1/2-inch across, 12 in total.

Once the water is boiling, reduce to a simmer and add the matzo balls. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes until fluffy. Note: Cooking the matzo balls separately from the soup will prevent the stock from getting cloudy. Line a dinner plate with paper towels and set aside. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the matzo balls for the water and allow to drain on the prepared plate.

To serve: Ladle some broth with carrots and chicken into the desired serving bowls. Add 1-2 matzo balls per bowl. Garnish with fresh dill.