A symbolic dish of past hardships, matzo ball soup may be an essential component of the Passover feast and a recurring Hanukkah dish, but we love to enjoy it all year long. This classic recipe—complete with homemade chicken broth and light and fluffy matzo balls—has a few ingredients that may surprise you, but truly perfect this pinnacle comfort food. Whether you’re looking to perfect this staple or are trying your hand at it or the first time, keep reading on for everything you need to know on how to make every component the best it can be:
The broth:
According to the Jewish cooking school I attended—my mother-in-law’s kitchen—great matzo ball soup starts with homemade chicken broth. Matzo balls are sponges for flavor—they soak up whatever is around them—so the time and effort you invest really pays off here. Plus, it couldn’t be easier: Throw a few roughly chopped vegetables, a whole chicken or two, some herbs, and chicken stock into a large pot and basically walk away for two hours.
The vegetables used here are critical: Onions, carrots, and celery are staples, but we use turnips and parsnips as well, which give the soup an earthy flavor. The herbs are also a must: Italian flat-leaf parsley has a brighter flavor than the curly kind; dill, which adds grassy, almost citrusy notes, is a prevalent ingredient in traditional Jewish cooking.
How to make the best matzo balls:
— Floaters vs. sinkers. Matzo balls, which are similar to dumplings, fall into one of two categories: floaters and sinkers. Sinkers, called that because they “sink” to the bottom of the soup pot, tend to have more eggs and are heavy and dense. Floaters, which are the kind I use in this recipe, are puffier and lighter, and are our ideal choice for this soup.
— Key ingredients for the best matzo balls. The matzo balls I was taught to make also have a few surprising ingredients. The first is chicken fat, known lovingly in the Jewish community as “shmaltz,” which gives the matzo balls a rich depth of flavor. It’s used in Jewish cooking the way lard is used in Southern cooking (very often), and it’s available in most supermarkets in the freezer aisle. The second ingredient is seltzer. While many recipes call for water, seltzer (the bubblier, the better) is used here as a leavener, making these matzo balls almost pillowy. If you don’t have seltzer on hand, water will do—but the result won’t be exactly the same.
Freezing matzo balls:
After cooking the matzo balls, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, you can transfer to a resealable plastic bag. They should keep for up to 2 weeks. To prepare, drop frozen balls into boiling broth and cook until heated through.
Storage:
If you have any leftovers, store the matzo balls and soup separately in airtight containers in the fridge (or freezer). The broth will stay good for around 3 to 4 days—when you’re ready to enjoy, boil the broth and drop your matzo balls in until heated through.
If you made this recipe, let us know how it went in the comment section below!
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- Yields:
- 8 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Total Time:
- 2 hrs 15 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 537
Ingredients
Chicken Soup
- 2 tbsp.
extra-virgin olive oil
- 1
yellow onion, quartered
- 2
carrots, cut into about 4" pieces
- 4
stalks celery, cut into about 4" pieces
- 1
turnip, quartered
- 1
parsnip, cut into about 4" pieces
- 1
(2 1/2- to 3-lb.)whole chicken
- 6 c.
(48 oz.) homemade chicken broth
- 4
sprigs fresh dill
- 4
sprigs fresh flat-leafparsley
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Matzo Balls
- 4
large eggs
- 1/2 c.
chicken fat (schmaltz), melted
- 1/2 c.
seltzer water
- 1 c.
matzo meal
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh dill, for serving
Directions
Chicken Soup
- Step1In a very large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, carrots, celery, turnip, and parsnip and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Place chicken on top of vegetables and toss so chicken gets slightly covered in veggies and oil. Add broth, then pour in enough water to just cover chicken.
- Step2Add dill and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, 2 hours. Remove chicken (shred for soup or reserve for another use). Reserve a few pieces of carrot (to be sliced and added to finished soup). Strain broth into a large bowl or measuring cup; season with salt and pepper. Discard remaining vegetables and herbs.
Matzo Balls
- Step1In a medium bowl, beat eggs to blend. Add chicken fat and seltzer and mix well to combine. Add matzo meal; season with salt and pepper and mix again to combine, making sure all of the matzo meal is incorporated. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.
- Step2Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using a medium cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons), scoop mixture and form into balls, smoothing their shape by rolling between slightly wet hands.
- Step3Drop balls into boiling water. (They will sink initially, but will rise to the top as they cook.) Cook until they float, 10 to 15 minutes. They’ll look dense and dark yellow in the center if they’re not done.
- Step4Add to soup or place into individual serving bowls and top with soup. Top with chicken (if using), reserved carrots, and dill.
Joanna Saltz
Joanna Saltz is the current Editorial Director of Delish and House Beautiful, where she oversees all food and home content for both brands. From North Caldwell, NJ, Saltz has held editorial positions at Food Network Magazine, Seventeen, and The Knot. She describes herself as Captain Chaos—she loves her family, her Delish and House Beautiful teams, loud music, science-fiction movies, laughing, and making people happy.
