Something about a stuffy nose and sore throat turns me into a 3 year old whining for a batch of my mom’s matzo ball soup. Since my mother lives a few hundred miles away, I’ve resigned myself to the idea of making my own soup.

My mother’s soup can be an all day affair — she boils the chicken whole, skims the fat, adds in some delicious vegetables and herbs and then finally adds the soft, melt-in-your-mouth matzo balls.

Being a 20-something, I don’t have the same time or patience she does to carefully craft the dish. As such, here’s my recipe for Jewish penicillin in a pinch. My grandmother might have scoffed at my use of matzo ball mix, but she’d be happy I was eating.

Jewish Penicillin in a Pinch

Ingredients:

For soup:

3 to 4 pounds of dark meat chicken, deboned and deskinned (try getting thighs that are already deboned to make this a little easier)

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock/broth

2 tablespoons of salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1 bunch fresh parsley

1 bunch of dill

1 to 2 pounds carrots (get them presliced and peeled)

1 to 2 pounds onions (you can also find these diced and ready to go at the supermarket)

1 to 2 pounds celery (I don’t include them, but I know some people do)

8 ounces egg noodles

Water

For matzo balls:

(makes about 9 to 12 matzo balls)

2 eggs (or four if you’re using egg whites)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 box Manischewitz matzo ball mix

Directions:

For soup:

1. Put chicken in bottom of large, and I mean large, pot. Cover with chicken stock/broth, add water if necessary to add more liquid.

2. Bring chicken and broth to full boil over high heat. This is the time to skim off any fat if you want to.

3. Add pepper, parsley and dill. If you’re using celery, add a few stalks

4. Add onions and carrots into broth also.

5. Lower to medium heat. Let simmer for as long as possible, three hours is best, but an hour and a half will serve.

6. Once you’re about an hour away from serving begin making the matzo balls (recipe below).

7. Once you’re about 20 minutes away from serving, add the egg noodles and matzo balls.

8. Let matzo balls and noodles boil until noodles are tender. Serve piping hot with a side of love and guilt.

For matzo balls:

1. In a small bowl blend two eggs and two tablespoons of vegetable oil.

2. Add matzo ball mix and stir until evenly combined.

3. Place bowl in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

4. Wet hands and form batter into 1-inch balls, add to boiling soup.