“Whenever my mom and I are cook lunches, I think of the people who will receive them — isolated elderly Jews who probably feel alone in the world. I want to tell them: Please don’t worry. There will always be people ready to help you.”

— Katya Rybak
Volunteer with the JDC-supported Volunteer Center in Chisinau, Moldova

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken, about 1 kg or 2.2 lbs., cut into pieces
  • 4 liters water (about 16 cups)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • Sunflower oil
  • 200 ml kvass (7/8 cup)
  • Salt
  • A few sprigs of lovage or celery leaves
  • 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
  • 5 oz. homemade egg noodles (fettuccine may be substituted)

Instructions

  1. Place chicken pieces into a large pot of water and bring to a boil, removing the froth that appears on the surface.
  2. Add the onion, salt, and bay leaf, and continue boiling until the chicken is cooked.
  3. Meanwhile, grate the carrot, chop the pepper, and sauté them in sunflower oil over medium heat.
  4. Add the sautéed vegetables to the pot.
  5. Pour kvass into the same frying pan used to cook the vegetables, boil it, and add it to the broth. If you can’t find kvass, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.
  6. Add pasta and greens, and bring the pot to boil again. Serve hot.