Matzo Ball Soup

 

Mrs. Cohen used to say that there were a few different types of soups that would cure the common cold. First would be Italian penicillin soup, Jewish chicken soup, and then you have matzo ball soup. Then she began to pull out the ingredients to start making Matzo Ball Soup. Her recipe started with a whole, raw chicken for the broth, which is so easy and makes a big difference in terms of flavor. (She is the reason why I make homemade chicken broth every few weeks. You can’t beat the taste.)  I love making matzo balls since they are quick, hands-on, and so fun. The matzo dough and broth can be made ahead so that it's easy to finish dinner one night, without sacrificing the taste you can only get from a traditional and authentic matzo soup, like this. Hats off to Mrs. Cohen for sharing her knowledge with me.

5 servings

Ingredients 

Broth:

1 whole chicken cut into pieces

3 ribs of celery, with leaves, cut into chunks

3 large carrots, cut into chunks

2 medium onions, cut into chunks

2 bay leaves

1/2 bunch fresh chopped parsley, about 10 sprigs

1 teaspoon of whole peppercorn

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

Better than Bouillon chicken flavor, to taste, as needed

Matzo Balls:

4 large eggs

¼ cup schmaltz, or use vegetable oil or melted butter

1 cup matzo meal, Manischewitz brand

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

¼ cup seltzer water or club soda, or Chicken Broth or water

Soup:

2 ribs of celery, diced

2 medium carrots, diagonally sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill, , for garnish

Instructions

Make Broth: (Can be made ahead) Add chicken to an 8-quart or larger stock pot. Add celery, onion, carrot, bay leaf, parsley, peppercorns, and salt. Cover the ingredients with about 3.5 quarts (14 cups) of cold water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for about 2 hours. Skim off foam that rises to the surface.

Remove chicken pieces to a large bowl and set aside until cool enough to handle, and remove the meat from the bones.

Strain the stock through a fine sieve, discarding all vegetables and seasonings so you are only left with the stock. You want at least 10 cups of broth, so if the broth reduces more than that, add additional water + bouillon to the soup. Return hot broth to the pot and add carrots and celery.

If time permits, refrigerate the stock for a few hours or overnight, until you can skim off any fat (schmaltz) that rises to the top. We use the schmaltz in the matzo balls, but oil or melted butter could be substituted.

Taste and season broth, as needed, with chicken bouillon base, salt, and pepper to make a flavorful broth.

Matzo Ball Dough: (can be made ahead). In a medium mixing bowl, mix eggs and schmaltz/chicken fat (or oil or melted butter) together with a fork. Add Matzo Meal, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, then mix until combined. Mix in seltzer water (or broth or water) until well combined. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Form Matzo Balls: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop matzo mixture into 15 golf-ball-sized portions (about 1 1/2-tablespoon size) and gently/loosely roll into balls (don’t densely roll them). Place on a baking sheet. Tip: Wet hands will help keep the batter from sticking to them.

Cook Matzo Balls: Heat a large pot of boiling water. Drop matzo balls into boiling water, cover, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes, flipping balls once or twice during cooking.

Finish and Serve: When matzo balls are halfway through cooking, warm the pot of chicken broth. Add cooked matzo balls and shredded chicken to the soup. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh dill and cracked black pepper.

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with 40 years of experience in writing, 12 of which are in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management, a bachelor’s in mass communication and cyber-analysis, a master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft, and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, gouache, and pastels. As a political operative who has worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs ranging from art to life coaching, food, writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each week.

Passover Recipes, Kilbride, Jewish Cuisine, Potpourri of Frugality