It’s almost Passover, so naturally you’d expect your friendly neighborhood food blogging family at The Woks of Life to have a Matzo Ball Soup recipe ready for the occasion.
Welllll…while we probably aren’t the first food blog you’d think of when looking for a matzo ball soup recipe, you may be surprised to learn that our family and matzo ball soup go way back.
Story time!
Our History with Matzo Balls
I first learned of the matzo ball’s existence at around eight years old, at a Passover dinner at my cousin Jennifer’s house (fun fact: my uncle is Jewish). Having this Jewish branch of our family meant that:
- My sister and I got to be majorly jealous of Jen when she got presents for both Hanukkah AND Christmas.
- Kaitlin and I went to a Jewish sleepaway camp, where we were definitely the only non-Jewish kids. (This fact did not stop us from enjoying the rare and coveted twice-a-summer blintz breakfast as much as everyone else.)
- We were introduced early on to the magical world of Jewish cuisine, from brisket and latkes to kasha varnishkes and of course, matzo balls.
My dad was also no stranger to Jewish cuisine. He grew up in the middle of the Borscht Belt of upstate New York (Sullivan County, specifically), where my grandpa cooked in hotels and restaurants serving vacationing Jewish families.
The result? This Chinese American food blogger is not only very familiar with many of these Jewish classics, I actually crave them on a regular basis.
Along with my partner-in-crime Justin (aka the NJB––”Nice Jewish Boy”––I’ve managed to snag), I break out the matzo meal to make matzo ball soup whenever the mood strikes.
The Great Matzo Ball Debate: Floaters vs. Sinkers
What kind of matzo ball person are you? The kind that likes light and fluffy floaters? Or chewy, dense sinkers?
My dad is a fan of light and fluffy matzo balls. My mom is a fan of chewier ones. My uncle Barry, whose preferences I grew up with, was a fan of dense matzo balls that we affectionately called “cannonballs.” I myself like a matzo ball with a bit of chewiness and bite to it, perhaps with a slightly softer outer layer.
Whatever your matzo ball preference, this recipe has you covered:
- If you like chewy and dense matzo balls that resist your spoon’s slicing action, make this recipe with stock/water and omit the baking powder.
- If you like a matzo ball that’s slightly lighter on the outside but still a bit dense in the middle, use seltzer in place of stock/water OR add ¼ teaspoon baking powder to the matzo ball mixture. (My preferred method is to make my matzo ball mix with seltzer, and no baking powder. This yields a matzo ball that’s light, but still has a bit of firmness to it.)
- If you like them even lighter, use seltzer and 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder, OR use stock/water and ½ teaspoon baking powder.
- I’ve found that how long you cook your matzo balls will also determine their texture, giving you another lever to adjust your matzo balls to the exact density/lightness you like. Shorter cooking times will yield al dente matzo balls, while longer cooking times will lead to lighter matzo balls.
Note:
Concerned about whether using baking powder counts as leavening (i.e. whether it’s kosher for Passover)? Apparently, it is! “Leavening” refers to yeast, not baking soda or baking powder. You can find brands labeled “Kosher for Passover.” See this New York Times article for more info.
The Importance of Good Stock
Beyond the matzo ball mixture, the key to a good matzo ball soup is the stock. Though we have many great stock recipes on the Woks of Life, like my mom’s homemade chicken stock, I like to make stock from a roasted chicken carcass for this soup.
For more details on how to roast a whole chicken and make stock using the carcass, check out my 2-part recipe for Roast Chicken & Stock.
In preparation for this recipe, I actually roasted a chicken for dinner the day before to make the stock (my baked whole chicken with vegetables). Never let a good chicken carcass go to waste!
Of course, you can also use store-bought if you like, and you can also use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to make this vegetarian. Beyond that, you can include vegetables in your soup or just have a clear broth, and choose whether or not to include shredded chicken or dill.
I wrote this recipe to be flexible, so that you could adjust it to your own taste preferences.
With that, let’s get into the recipe!
Our Matzo Ball Soup Recipe
In a medium to large mixing bowl, add the matzo meal, vegetable oil (or schmaltz, which has more flavor), stock (or water or seltzer), eggs, and nutmeg. At this point, you can add ¼ to ½ teaspoon baking powder for lighter matzo balls, or omit the baking powder altogether if you like your matzo balls denser.
Season with a teaspoon of salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.
Gently mix all the ingredients together with a fork, and don’t overwork the mixture. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
To make the soup, add the chicken/vegetable stock to a pot along with the diced celery, carrots, and onion.
Bring to a boil, and lower the heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, bring a wide, deep skillet or pan filled with salted water or stock to a boil. Wet your hands, and form the chilled matzo mixture into balls, each about the size of a ping pong ball. Drop them into the boiling liquid as you make them.
Cover the pan, and simmer them for 30-45 minutes. The longer you simmer them, the lighter they will get. I usually boil mine for around 35 minutes for more al dente matzo balls.
By the time your matzo balls are done, your soup should also be ready. Taste the soup for seasoning and adjust to taste. Transfer the matzo balls to bowls and cover with your soup. You can also add shredded chicken and sprigs of fresh dill if desired. Serve immediately!
Matzo Ball Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup matzo meal
- ¼ cup vegetable oil or schmaltz (rendered chicken fat)
- ¼ cup chicken stock, vegetable stock, water, or seltzer (depending on desired flavor/lightness; use seltzer for lighter texture)
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon baking powder (optional addition for even lighter matzo balls)
- Salt and pepper
- 6 cups high quality chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 ribs celery (diced)
- 3 medium carrots (diced)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- Shredded chicken (optional)
- Dill sprigs (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium to large mixing bowl, add the matzo meal, vegetable oil (or schmaltz, which has more flavor), stock (or water/seltzer), eggs, and nutmeg. At this point, you can add ¼ to ½ teaspoon baking powder for lighter matzo balls, or omit the baking powder altogether if you like your matzo balls denser.
- Season with a teaspoon of salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.
- Gently mix all the ingredients together with a fork, and don’t overwork the mixture. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- To make the soup, add the chicken/vegetable stock to a pot along with the diced celery, carrots, and onion. Bring to a boil, and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, bring a wide, deep skillet or pan filled with salted water or stock to a boil. Wet your hands, and form the chilled matzo mixture into balls, each about the size of a ping pong ball. Drop them into the boiling liquid as you make them.
- Cover the pan, and simmer them for 30-45 minutes. The longer you simmer them, the lighter they will get. I usually boil mine for around 35 minutes for more al dente matzo balls.
- By the time your matzo balls are done, your soup should also be ready. Taste the soup for seasoning and add salt to taste. Transfer the matzo balls to bowls and cover with your soup. You can also add shredded chicken and sprigs of fresh dill if desired. Serve immediately!
