Matzo Ball Soup
This Soup recipe is a deeply comforting and traditional dish, beloved for its rich flavors and nourishing qualities. It combines homemade chicken broth with tender, herbed matzo balls, offering a delightful culinary experience that's perfect for warming up on a chilly day or for celebrating traditional meals with family and friends. This recipe promises a soup that's rich in flavor and history.
Recipe Video
Recipe Ingredients
For the Chicken Broth:
- 1 Whole Chicken, breasts removed and reserved for another use, rest cut into pieces
- 8 - 9 Chicken Wings
- 2 large Onions, quartered and cut into large chunks
- 14 approx. Whole Black Peppercorns
- 4 - 5 Thyme sprigs
- 1 whole Garlic bulb, peeled
- Parsley stems and leaves
- 5 - 6 Carrots, for both broth and as carrot wheels in the soup
- 3 - 4 Parsnips (optional)
- 4 - 5 Celery stalks
- Salt, to taste
- Water, enough to cover ingredients
For the Matzo Balls:
- 5 Eggs, beaten until frothy
- 1 ¼ cups about Matzo Meal
- 1/2 cup about Clarified Butter (or chicken fat)
- 1/2 teaspoon about Baking Powder (optional, based on Passover dietary restrictions)
- 1/2 teaspoon about Baking Soda
- 1 tablespoon about Garlic freshly chopped
- 1 tablespoon about Dill freshly chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 teaspoons about 10 ml Freshly Grated Ginger
- Check stock to cook the balls
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
For the Soup:
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion minced
- 2 tablespoons Garlic
- 12 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 cups Carrots thinly diced or sliced
- 2 cups Celery thinly diced
- 2 tablespoons about Dill freshly chopped
- 2 cups Sweet Potato Balls (optional)
- 2 or 3 tablespoons Tapioca Power or Corn Starch diluted in water (optional)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Sweet Potato Balls (optional)
- 3 Scallions, sliced for garnish
Recipe Instructions
Make the Chicken Broth:
- Combine chicken pieces (reserve the legs for later use) add wings, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, garlic, parsley, thyme, peppercorns, and salt in a large pot.
- Cover with cold water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 45/60 minutes. Skim all the foam that rises.
Make the Matzo Balls:
- In a bowl, mix beaten eggs until double in volume.
- In another bowl add the matzo meal, add clarified butter, baking powder, baking soda, garlic, dill, ginger, salt, and pepper. Add all the ingredients to the whipped eggs mixture and blend well.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm at least for 1 hours.
- Roll the chilled mixture no bigger into 1 ½ inch (38mm) balls. Let them cool at least 15/30 minutes before cooking them.
- Cook the balls in a pot large enough to hold the ball in one layer. Cover them with enough stock to cover them ¾ of the way, cover the pot and at a very low heat and gently simmer them for about 30/45 minutes until fully cooked.
Make the Soup:
- In a soup pot, heat some garlic olive oil and when hot add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and the fragrant add a little chicken broth to avoid the garlic from burning.
- Add the carrots, celery, dill, and chicken reserved chicken legs. Bring to boil and reduce immediately to avoid making the soup cloudy.
- Cook for about 45 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, add sweet potatoes and scallions and cook for another 10 minutes.
