Passover Green Chicken Soup

She was born in Romania and grew up in Israel but in her extended family she is considered the ultimate authority on Jewish Algerian cooking. She earned this reputation during forty years of marriage to Gerard, an Algerian Jew, who is as much into cooking as she is. Their famous Seder meals celebrate the best of Jewish Algerian cuisine with some add-ons from Hadassah's own culinary legacy. 

Soups with fava beans and green vegetables are a must at the Seder table of North African Jews.  Usually diners break matzo into the soup to make it more substantial, but Hadassah prefers to serve the soup with her famous matzo balls.

Passover Green Chicken Soup
(Serves 10 to 12)

3 pounds of chicken separated into pieces  
1 turkey neck, cut into a few chunks  
3 cardamom pods  
3 bay leaves  
10 allspice berries  
2 large fresh sage leaves 
5 small onions  
4 to 5 carrots, sliced into 1-inch coins  
1 celery root, quartered  
1 fennel bulb (only the outer leaves)  
1 cabbage stalk (the hard part without the leaves) 
1 small bunch of fresh dill  
1 small bunch fresh cilantro  
1 bunch fresh parsley  
3 to 4 celery stalks, with leaves  
3/4 cup peeled fava beans, fresh of frozen  
1/2 cup garden peas, fresh or frozen

1. Fill a large pot (about 8 quarts) three-quarters full with boiling water.

2. Add the chicken pieces and turkey neck and boil for 5 minutes.

3. Drain, save the meat, and wash the pot.  
 


4. Return the meat to the pot and add fresh cold water so that it reaches three-quarters of its volume.

5. Put the cardamom, bay leaves, and allspice in a piece of cloth and tie in a bundle. Add to the pot. 

6. Add the sage, onions, carrots, celery root, fennel, and cabbage and bring to a boil. 

7. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.

8. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.  
 


9. Drain the liquid through a fine sieve and poor the broth back into the pot. 

10. Save the chicken and cooked vegetables in separate containers.  Up to this point, the soup can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days.  
 


11. When ready to serve, bring the broth to a boil.

12. Tie the dill, cilantro, parsley, and celery in a bundle and add to the broth.

13. Add the fava beans and peas. 

14. Return to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. 

15. Remove and discard the herbs.

16. Serve with pieces of matzo or with matzo balls. 

The Day After Seder Salad: Hadassah doesn't serve chicken and vegetables with the soup but saves them for the lunch she serves on the first day of the Passover week: Separate the chicken meat from the bones while it is still warm (it is easier that way) and shred it into small pieces.  Chop the cooked carrot (from the soup). Add freshly chopped onions and capers and dress with mayonnaise seasoned with mustard and minced garlic.

Enjoy!



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