Overnight chicken soup (2024)

1 whole 3 to 4½-pound chicken

6 medium carrots, trimmed and peeled

3 large celery stalks, halved lengthwise

2 medium onions, peeled but left whole

1 medium parsnip, trimmed and peeled

1 medium turnip, trimmed and peeled

3 garlic cloves

1 whole bunch fresh dill, tied into a bundle with kitchen twine

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons hawaiij (optional)

One 1-inch piece peeled ginger root (optional)

Lachuch, for serving

In a very large (at least 8-quart) stockpot*, arrange a large, overhanging double layer of cheesecloth. Place the chicken in the center of the cheesecloth and tie the cheesecloth into a knot so the chicken is totally enclosed. Add the carrots, celery, onion, parsnip, turnip, and garlic, cover with 3 inches of cold water, bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, and boil, skimming and discarding any scum, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the dill, and cook, checking every so often that the soup is moving with very small bubbles, almost like a tide washing in but not boiling.

After about 2 hours, add the salt. It should taste delicious and salty, like soup should taste. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for a total of 12 hours, either a whole waking day or overnight. Occasionally, skim off the fat from the top.

Put that fat and broth with it in a bowl in the fridge; when it hardens, tip the bowl back into the soup; the broth slips out from underneath the disc of fat, which I use as schmaltz (chicken fat) in recipes like Medjool Date Gondi. If you’re going Yemenite, add the hawaiij and ginger 2 hours before you’re done cooking the soup.

When ready to serve, remove and discard the dill. Remove the chicken to a bowl, cut the cheesecloth open to help it cool, then tip any broth back into the soup. Strip off and discard the skin and cheesecloth. Take all the meat off the bones. Discard the bones. Portion the meat out into bowls with the broth and vegetables. Season with more salt if needed. Serve with lachuch.