Chicken soup has long been known for its ability to boost our immune system and help fight off colds. In fact, just about every culture around the world has its own version of chicken soup which they tout as a cold remedy. The Greeks have avgolemono, Caldo de pollo is ubiquitous throughout Latin America, and here in the U.S. we have chicken noodle soup. But since it is the Hanukkah season I thought this would be a great time to make what is often referred to as “Jewish penicillin”, matzo ball soup.
What are Matzo Balls?
Matzo balls are a unique byproduct of the dietary restrictions found in Judaism. You see during the religious holiday of Passover people of the Jewish faith are forbidden from eating any leavened bread. So instead they make an unleavened bread similar to a cracker that is known as matzo. And more often than not someone will make more bread than they need, resulting in a lot of leftover stale bread.
So what do you do with all this stale bread?
You grind them up to make bread crumbs, or in this case matzo meal.
And it didn’t take long for someone to realize that by mixing this matzo meal with eggs, fat, and water resulted in great dumplings.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- Today we are going to make our matzo balls roughly golf ball sized. However, if you want to replicate the huge matzo balls often found in New York delis, then feel free to make them much larger.
- Can you make your matzo balls the night before? Yes! In fact, the matzo ball mix needs at least 1 hour for the liquids to be absorbed by the matzo meal. So make the matzo ball mixture in a bowl, cover it with some plastic wrap, and let it sit in your fridge overnight.
- While the matzo balls are the main focus of this soup, you shouldn’t forget about the broth. So check out our recipe for homemade chicken stock if you really want to make the best tasting matzo ball soup.
- Check out some other great Jewish recipes like potato latkes, challah bread, and kugel.
Matzo Ball Soup Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
For the soup:
3 Quarts of homemade chicken or turkey stock
1 Boneless skinless chicken breast (optional)
3 to 4 Stalks of celery, sliced
2 Large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 Medium onion, diced
Salt & pepper to taste
For the matzo balls:
1 Cup of matzo meal
4 Large eggs
¼ Cup of vegetable oil
¼ Cup of chicken stock, or water
1 Teaspoon of salt
½ Teaspoon of black pepper
Garnish:
Freshly minced dill or parsley
Instructions
- Make the matzo ball batter: Get out a medium-sized mixing bowl and add all of the matzo ball ingredients to it. Then gently mix all of the ingredients together until they are incorporated.
Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and let it sit in your fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Make the soup base: Get out a large pot and add the stock, chicken breast, and vegetables to it. Place this over high heat and let it come to a boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer and let everything cook for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Take out the chicken breast and shred it with two forks. Set the shredded chicken aside until later.
- Form and cook the matzo balls: Take the matzo ball mixture out of your fridge. Then wet your hands and form the mixture into roughly golfball-sized balls. Transfer these balls to your pot of simmering soup and cover the pot.
Let the matzo balls simmer for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, they will become lighter in texture the longer they cook.
- Return the shredded chicken to the soup and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Get out a bowl and add 2 to 3 matzo balls to it. Pour some of the broth along with some chicken and vegetables over these balls. Sprinkle on some minced dill and enjoy!
Matzo Ball Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 3 Quarts of homemade chicken or turkey stock
- 1 Boneless skinless chicken breast optional
- 3 to 4 Stalks of celery sliced
- 2 Large carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 Medium onion diced
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the matzo balls:
- 1 Cup of matzo meal
- 4 Large eggs
- ¼ Cup of vegetable oil
- ¼ Cup of chicken stock or water
- 1 Teaspoon of salt
- ½ Teaspoon of black pepper
Garnish:
- Freshly minced dill or parsley
Instructions
- Make the matzo ball batter: Get out a medium-sized mixing bowl and add all of the matzo ball ingredients to it. Then gently mix all of the ingredients together until they are incorporated. Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and let it sit in your fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Make the soup base: Get out a large pot and add the stock, chicken breast, and vegetables to it. Place this over high heat and let it come to a boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer and let everything cook for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Take out the chicken breast and shred it with two forks. Set the shredded chicken aside until later.
- Form and cook the matzo balls: Take the matzo ball mixture out of your fridge. Then wet your hands and form the mixture into roughly golfball-sized balls. Transfer these balls to your pot of simmering soup and cover the pot. Let the matzo balls simmer for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, they will become lighter in texture the longer they cook.
- Return the shredded chicken to the soup and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Get out a bowl and add 2 to 3 matzo balls to it. Pour some of the broth along with some chicken and vegetables over these balls. Sprinkle on some minced dill and enjoy!
