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This is the easiest recipe for Matzo ball soup that you will ever find. Even a beginner can make this Jewish matzo ball soup, and it tastes amazing! Soft delicious Matzo balls in a tasty chicken stock – so warm and comforting!
Matzo ball soup is a classic Jewish recipe that’s been around for thousands of years. Matzo balls are ball-shaped dumplings that are served in a chicken soup. Matzo ball ingredients are matzo meal, eggs, oil and water.
Matzo ball soup is a historic Jewish comfort food and it is always a part of traditional Jewish holiday menus. Matzo ball soup is a staple recipe for the Jewish holiday of Passover that celebrates the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. Matzah is an unleavened bread that is a symbol of freedom for Jews as it was the first food eaten by the newly freed people. During Passover, leavened breads are forbidden and only Matzah is allowed, so it’s a perfect time to make a Matzo ball soup! But of course, you don’t have to wait until Passover to make this delicious soup – Matzo ball soup can be enjoyed year around!
If you searched for Matzo ball soup recipes online, I’m sure you found that most of them are really complicated and impractical for today’s busy cook. Well, look no further – this is the easiest Matzo ball recipe you will ever find! It uses store-bought chicken broth so you don’t need to make it from scratch. No simmering the chicken for hours, straining the stock and removing chicken bones :) You just concentrate on the star of the recipe – the Matzo balls!
How To Make The Matzo Ball Soup Step By Step:
These easy instructions take the mystery out of the matzo ball soup making process :)
Step 1: Make the Matzo balls
Mix the Matzo ball dough ingredients, shape into balls and cook them in boiling water
Step 2: Flavor the chicken stock
While the Matzo balls are cooking, flavor the chicken stock by simmering it with carrots, onion and celery.
Step 3: Add the Matzo balls to the soup
Put the cooked Matzo balls into the chicken stock and finish cooking them there so they soak up the chicken soup flavor.
That’s all there is to it :) You might be thinking – why not cook the Matzo balls directly in the chicken stock to save a step? The reason why we cook Matzo balls in water first, as opposed to cooking them right away in the chicken stock, is to avoid making the soup cloudy.
Enjoy this delicious Matzo ball soup – it’s a true comfort food!
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Easy Matzo Ball Soup Recipe
This easy Matzo ball soup recipe is made in under an hour from start to finish! Delicious Matzo balls in comforting chicken broth - so yummy!
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Jewish
Ingredients
Garnish
- 1/4 bunch fresh dill or parsley chopped
Instructions
Mix the Matzo meal with eggs and oil, then refrigerate it for 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water with 1 tbsp of salt to a boil.
Using wet hands, roll the Matzo mixture into 1-inch balls (to not over-mix, or it will make the Matzo balls tough).
Carefully drop the Matzo balls in the water using a slotted spoon.
Reduce the heat to simmer and cook the Matzo balls for 30 minutes.
While the Matzo balls are cooking, add chicken stock, onion, carrots and celery to a separate pot. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat to Low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the onion with a slotted spoon and discard. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Carefully take out the Matzo balls with a slotted spoon and transfer them into the chicken stock. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
To serve, laddle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped dill or parsley.
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FAQs
Matzo balls are light and fluffy dumplings made of eggs, vegetable oil, water, matzo meal, and some simple salt and pepper seasoning. This recipe includes “floaters”, the kind of matzo balls that float in your soup as opposed to “sinkers”, matzo balls that sink to the bottom of the bowl.
What is a substitute for schmaltz in matzo balls? ›
Schmaltz was certainly the typical fat in the matzo balls of the Old World, and many cooks still swear by it today. Today, though, vegetable and canola oils are often used for convenience.
Why didn t my matzo balls fluff up? ›
Go by texture and doneness. It won't be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center. Serve two or three matzo balls per bowl with hot chicken soup ladled over them.
What causes matzo balls to fall apart? ›
After all, letting your dough rest in the fridge gives the matzo time to absorb the liquid in the recipe and bind together. Without this crucial step, your matzo balls will certainly fall apart before you even serve them.
Are matzo balls healthy for you? ›
Add to that the benefits of vitamins A, C, and D in the broth, the anti-inflammatory properties of the soup vegetables, and a boost of energy from the carbohydrates in the matzo balls, and you've got a recipe for feeling better!
What ethnicity is matzo ball soup? ›
German, Austrian, and Alsatian Jews were the first to prepare matzo balls for their soup; middle eastern Jews introduced additional variations. An early recipe for matzoh ball soup, made with beef stock, is found in The Jewish manual, or, Practical information in Jewish and modern cookery (1846).
Do grocery stores sell schmaltz? ›
Schmaltz is often sold in small tubs at kosher butchers and at some well-stocked grocery stores. It is also easy to make at home and typically has better flavor.
Can I use butter instead of schmaltz? ›
Yes, butter can be used as a substitute for schmaltz in many recipes. It provides a rich and savory flavor similar to schmaltz and can be used in a 1:1 ratio in most dishes.
Why are my matzo balls rubbery? ›
The answer to why some matzah balls come out like rubber balls instead of fluffy clouds, is the addition of water to the batter. It doesn't matter if you add flat water or seltzer to the mix, just don't do it. When my sister was writing her kosher soup cookbook she had to include scratch recipes for matzah balls.
Should matzo balls float or sink? ›
One thing is for sure though, every matzo ball floats right out of the pot, then sinks. Even the dense and chewy version sunk after soaking in broth overnight. All in all, there's no correct way to make a matzo ball. You can make them any way you like them!
Get schmaltzy: Schmaltz, or rendered chicken fat, is like gold. And you deserve nothing but the best. The flavor and texture that schmaltz gives a matzo ball is nothing that vegetable oil can really compare to, which is why if you can get it (or make it!), use the good stuff.
How long to refrigerate matzo balls before cooking? ›
Store the mixture, covered, in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight.
Can you over boil matzo balls? ›
Note that they'll “look done” after about 10 minutes, however it really does take around 45 minutes to cook all the way to the center of the ball. If you cut one open and the center looks yellow and grainy, like the batter, it's not done yet. You can't overcook a matzo ball. It's not possible.
Do matzo balls sink when done? ›
Whether you prefer a light and fluffy matzo ball or a chewier and denser one, there is a recipe out there for you to try. One thing is for sure though, every matzo ball floats right out of the pot, then sinks. Even the dense and chewy version sunk after soaking in broth overnight.
Is a matzah ball a dumpling? ›
Matzo balls began as the German Knödel, a bready dumpling. Jewish cooks in the Middle Ages first adapted the dumplings to add to Sabbath soups, using broken matzo with some kind of fat like chicken or beef marrow, eggs, onions, ginger, and nutmeg.
What's the difference between matzoh balls and dumplings? ›
Matzo balls are considered to be a type of dumpling. The main difference between matzo balls and any other dumpling is that these balls are made with matzo meal, which is ground matzo crackers, and most other dumplings are made with all purpose flour.
Is matzo healthier than bread? ›
According to Professor Jesse Lachter, a top gastroenterologist at Haifa's Rambam Hospital, a sheet of plain matzah is twice as fattening as a slice of white bread.
What grain is matzo made from? ›
The flour may be whole grain or refined grain, but must be made from one of five grains: wheat, spelt, barley, rye, or oat. Some Sephardic communities allow matzah to be made with eggs and/or fruit juice to be used throughout the holiday.
