Soul-Soothing Matzah Ball Soup

Matzah ball soup is a cure-all. It makes me feel good on sick days, it makes me feel happy on sad days, and it makes the holidays complete. I have always been completely satisfied with making my matzah ball soup from the Manischewitz mix. It’s delicious, and it’s what I’ve always eaten. Sadly, I have a hard time buying it in DC. The supermarkets around here just don’t seem to carry it, and unless my mom mails me some, I’m out of luck. I bought a different brand of mix once, and… ew. I finally decided to suck it up and learn how to make my own matzah balls. Happy ending- they’re delicious!

To make matzah ball soup, start with your broth. You can make homemade chicken broth, or you can buy some. Then, it’s on to the balls. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 eggs. Mix in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Then, add 1/2 cup of matzah meal (I made my own by grinding 2 sheets of matzah in the food processor), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons of chicken broth. If you want your matzah balls to be on the fluffier side or closer to what you’d get from the mix, also add in 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. I didn’t add it, and my matzah balls didn’t expand much. Mix everything together, cover the bowl, and put it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

While the matzah ball mixture is chilling, bring 2.5 quarts of chicken stock to a boil. Drop in a few sliced carrots and celery stalks along with 1/2 of a diced onion. My mom also adds parsnip. The matzah ball mix should have absorbed most of the liquid while it was in the fridge.

With wet hands to keep the mixture from sticking, roll out 1 inch sized balls and drop them directly into the soup. The first time I ever made matzah balls, I didn’t stick to the 1 inch rule, and we ended up with bowling balls! It was quite a few years until I was permitted to make them again! This time, my mixture yielded 13 matzah balls.

Once all of the balls are in the pot, bring it down to a simmer, cover the pot, and let it cook for 1 hour. Season the soup with dill before serving. Happy slurping!

This recipe was adapted from Manischewitz.

Shopping list:

  • Chicken stock- 2.5 quarts plus 2 tablespoons
  • Matzah meal or matzah- 1/2 cup or 2 sheets
  • Eggs- 2
  • Vegetable oil- 2 tablespoons
  • Salt and pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Carrots- 2
  • Onion- 1
  • Celery- 2 stalks
  • Dill
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Comments

Soul-Soothing Matzah Ball Soup — 2 Comments

  1. Yes, you made three bowling ball sized matzah balls. Boy have you come a long way!!! Bursting with pride!!! xox

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