Matzo Ball Soup is a traditional Jewish recipe for a classic carrot and dill soup containing dumpling made from unleavened bread (matzo or matzoh) meal that's typically served for Passover. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Jewish version of: Matzo Ball Soup.
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Ingredients:
80ml schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) or duck fat
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
4 matzo sheets (about 130g
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
5 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
5 large eggs
4 tbsp plain seltzer water
4l home-made chicken stock, divided
3 small carrots, thinly sliced
fresh dill or parsley, chopped, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving
Method:
Set a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the schmaltz or duck fat and when melted use to fry the onion, stirring often, until the just begins to brown in spots ()8 to 10 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, break matzo sheets into 3cm pieces, and place in a food processor. Process until mostly fine crumbs form with some small pieces of matzo sprinkled throughout (about 50 seconds), stopping to stir occasionally. Transfer the ground matzo to a medium-sized bowl, and stir in garlic powder, white pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; set aside.
For floating-type matzo balls, skip to the next step. For sinker matzo balls, whisk together eggs and onion mixture in a medium bowl until no streaks of egg white remain; whisk in seltzer. Add the ground matzo mixture, stirring to combine. Cover with clingfilm, pressing directly onto surface of mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.
For floater matzo balls, separate the 3 eggs, placing the yolks in a medium-sized bowl and whites in a large metal bowl. Add the remaining 2 whole eggs and onion mixture to the bowl with egg yolks, and whisk until thoroughly combined with no streaks of egg white; whisk in the seltzer, and then stir in ground matzo mixture. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into matzo mixture until completely combined. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto surface of mixture. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
To make the soup: bring 2l chicken stock to a boil over high in a large, wide Dutch oven. Stir in 2 tsp salt then reduce the heat to medium-high for a gentle boil. Using wet hands, roll the matzo mixture into 19 balls (about 1 1/2 tbsp each), dropping balls into stock as you roll. Return stock to a gentle simmer; partially cover, and reduce heat to very low. Simmer until matzo balls are puffed and cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. (To test doneness, cut open one matzo ball — it should be the same colour from edge to centre.) Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, bring the remaining 2l chicken stock to a boil in a large pan over high. Stir in the carrots, celery, and remaining 2 tsp salt. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes). Keep warm over low heat.
To serve, divide the matzo balls evenly among your serving bowls using a slotted spoon. Ladle stock with vegetables over matzo balls. Garnish with chopped dill or parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
