For Chef Marcie Rosenberg, food isn’t just nourishment, it’s a way to bring warmth, joy, and spiritual meaning into everyday life. Whether she’s baking fresh challah or simmering a pot of soup that fills a kitchen with comfort, Marcie has spent decades turning humble ingredients into something extraordinary.
“Soup brings people joy and comfort. When I cook, I want people to feel that,” she says.
And few dishes do that better than her signature kosher chicken soup. Rich in flavor, deeply nourishing, and soul-soothing from the very first spoonful, it’s a favorite at Shabbat tables and Jewish holiday celebrations year-round.
A Lifelong Love of Food and Faith
Marcie’s culinary journey began early. After attending the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and graduating in 1987, she moved to Charleston, married her husband David, and launched her first food business, Dining In, Inc., in 1989.
By 1991, the couple opened West Side Deli, a kosher meat market, restaurant, and grocery that quickly became a hub for Charleston’s Jewish community. Though it closed in 1999, their business, Dining In, Inc., still thrives today, offering weekly challah, small meals, and full-service catering for Jewish celebrations and holidays.
Keeping It Kosher and Meaningful
If you’ve ever wondered what kosher means, Marcie offers a clear and down-to-earth explanation: “It’s not about food being blessed, it’s about how it’s prepared and what’s permitted.”
Kosher food is rooted in Jewish dietary laws, known as kashrut, which have been followed for thousands of years. These laws outline which foods are allowed and how they must be handled, from preparation to separation. A helpful overview can be found through the Jewish Virtual Library’s explanation of Jewish dietary laws. While many associate kosher with religious observance, Marcie says it’s also about care, respect, and awareness in the kitchen.
Kosher food generally falls into three main categories.
Meat (Basar): This includes animals like cows and chickens. According to the Jewish Virtual Library’s overview of shechitah, kosher meat must come from animals slaughtered according to specific requirements under Jewish law.
Dairy (Chalav): Milk, cheese, butter, and other dairy products fall into this category. These foods are never eaten or cooked together with meat. Many kosher homes keep separate cookware, dishes, and utensils to avoid contact, a practice explained in My Jewish Learning’s guide to keeping kosher.
Pareve (Neutral): Foods that are neither meat nor dairy fall into this category, including fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs, and kosher fish. Fish must have both fins and scales, a standard outlined in Britannica’s overview of kashruth. Pareve foods can be eaten with either meat or dairy meals, and a clear breakdown of these categories is also available through Chabad’s explanation of meat, dairy, and pareve.
Some foods are completely off-limits, including pork, shellfish, and birds of prey. Keeping a kosher kitchen also means avoiding cross-contamination, which is why many households maintain separate tools and dishware for meat and dairy. To someone new to it, this may sound complicated, but to Marcie, it’s simply how she cooks. “It may sound complex,” she says, “but kosher cooking adds care to everyday moments. You’re not just feeding people, you’re helping them celebrate, grieve, remember, and connect.”
At its core, kosher cooking isn’t about being strict. It’s about honoring tradition and bringing care to the table, something anyone can appreciate, whether they keep kosher or not.
Marcie’s Kosher Chicken Soup Recipe, So Good Bubbe Would Approve
Serves 4–6
Whether you grew up with it or are tasting it for the first time, this is the kind of soup that speaks for itself, simple, satisfying, and made to share. Here’s how Marcie makes hers.
Ingredients:
2.5–3 lb kosher chicken (whole or cut-up)
3–4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
2 tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)
½ tsp ground black pepper
8–10 cups cold water
Optional: 1–2 sprigs fresh dill or parsley (added in the final hour)
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a large soup pot and cover with cold water.
Bring to a gentle heat over medium, then reduce to low.
Let simmer uncovered for 4–5 hours. Do not let it boil—this keeps the broth clear.
Taste and adjust seasoning. If the flavor is still mild, let it simmer a bit longer.
Once done, remove the chicken and bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot.
Add dill or parsley during the final hour for added depth, if desired.
Serve hot with generous pieces of chicken and vegetables in each bowl.
“This soup is how I show love,” says Marcie. “It’s simple, but it heals.”
Meet the chef
Chef Marcie Rosenberg has worked in the hospitality industry since 1983. After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in 1987, she and her husband David opened Charleston’s beloved West Side Deli. Today, she continues to cook for families, travelers, and community events through Dining In, Inc., specializing in kosher cuisine, weekly challah, and Jewish holiday meals.
