CHICKEN SOUP WITH DUMPLINGS

16 cups (4 quarts) Chicken Stock, cold or at room temperature (you may also use cold water, but the soup will not be as rich)
4 to 5 pounds chicken, cut up (a stewing hen is traditional, but any chicken parts are fine; be sure to reserve the liver if you’d like to make a liver paste filling for the kreplach)
4 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
4 parsley roots, peeled and chopped (if not available, add more parsley)
2 large onions, chopped
6 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 to 6 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 celery root, peeled and chopped (if not available, add more celery)
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

TO PREPARE
Prep the ingredients as directed in the recipe list.
Make the dumplings (see sidebar).
TO COOK
Put all the ingredients except the salt and pepper and the kreplach in a large soup pot with the chicken stock, cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, lightly covered, for 2 hours, until everything is tender and soft. Skim off the foam from time to time if needed.
After 2 hours, remove the chicken and pick its meat, discarding the skin and bones. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces and set aside, reserving some to filll the kreplach.
Strain the stock, pressing on the vegetables to extract all the flavor and goodness before discarding them. Stir in the chicken and season with salt and pepper. At this point, you can cool the soup, uncovered, and refrigerate overnight so the flavors can blend, then easily skim as much of the congealed fat as you want before reheating.
When making the final preparations, return the soup to a simmer, and let the steam build under a cover. Add the kreplach, cover the pot quickly, and simmer for 20 minutes. Don’t lift the lid!
TO SERVE
Ladle the soup into bowls and start thinking about your deeds over the past year and your hopes for the coming one.