I kind of wore myself out this past weekend with long days and lots of exciting activities. So when I finally made it home to New Orleans, I was feeling tired, achy, and in need of a warm cozy meal. Matzo ball soup has been on my “to do” list for a looooong time, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give it a try.
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What Is Matzo Ball Soup?
Matzo or Matzah Ball Soup is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish that is often served during Passover. It’s a chicken soup filled with delicious dumplings made out of matzah meal (crushed unleavened bread), eggs, chicken fat (or another fat or oil), and broth. The dumplings cook in the soup and soak up all the delicious flavor of the soup as they cook. This soup is absolutely delicious and soul-warming, and there’s just nothing in the world like it.
I’m a Newbie
I’ll readily admit, I’ve never made matzo ball soup before this week, but part of this blog is sharing with you as I learn how to make new things. I read through some fantastic tutorials and myth busters about matzo balls over at Serious Eats, looked through a bazillion matzo ball soup recipes, and then I finally felt confident trying it myself. I created a hybrid recipe between what was on the package of my matzo meal and the tips given by Serious Eats. They were surprisingly simple to make and the final soup was like a big, warm hug. Success!
Try These Authentic Matzo Ball Soup Recipes
Before you try the version I made below, make sure you check out some of these authentic Matzo Ball Soup Recipes to see what it’s really all about. And hopefully, you’ll get to learn some more about the rich culture and history behind this awesome soup in the process.
Matzo Ball Soup
Servings 5 (2 cups soup, 3 matzo balls each)Ingredients
SOUP
- 1 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil ($0.04)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.37)
- 3 carrots ($0.32)
- 3 stalks celery ($0.56)
- 1 chicken breast (about 3/4 lb.)* ($1.33)
- 6 cups chicken broth** ($0.76)
- 2 cups water ($0.00)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
- Few sprigs fresh dill ($1.19)
MATZO BALLS
- 3 large eggs ($1.13)
- 3 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil ($0.12)
- 3/4 cup matzo meal ($0.80)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
- 3 Tbsp water ($0.00)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and dice the onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots with the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent (about five minutes).
- Add the chicken breast, chicken broth, 2 cups water, some freshly cracked pepper, and one or two sprigs of dill to the pot. Place a lid on the pot and let it come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, mix the matzo ball dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and vegetable oil. Add the matzo meal, salt, baking powder, and a little freshly cracked pepper to the eggs and oil. Stir until well combined. Finally, add 3 Tbsp water and stir until smooth again. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to allow the matzo meal time to absorb the moisture.
- After the chicken soup has simmered, carefully remove the chicken breast and shred it with a fork. Return the shredded chicken to the soup. Taste the broth and adjust the salt if needed.
- Once the matzo ball mix has refrigerated and stiffened up, begin to form it into ping pong sized balls. Drop the balls into the simmering soup as they are formed, returning the lid to the pot after each one. Once all the matzo balls are in the soup, let them simmer for 20 minutes without removing the lid. Make sure the soup is gently simmering the entire time.
- Add a couple sprigs of fresh dill just before serving.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Matzo Ball Soup – Step by Step Photos
I made a very simple/quick chicken soup as a vehicle for my matzo balls. It begins with 2 cloves of garlic, one yellow onion, three carrots, and three stalks of celery. Mince the garlic and dice the onion, carrots, and celery.
Sauté the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery with 1 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil in a large pot over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent (about five minutes). Once the onions are soft, add one chicken breast (about 3/4 lb.). You can buy skin on and bone in chicken, just be sure to remove the skin first. The bones can be removed when you shred the chicken and will give the soup great flavor.
Also Add six cups of chicken broth and two cups of water (or all chicken broth, if you prefer). Also, add a couple of sprigs of dill and a little freshly cracked pepper. Place a lid on the pot, let it come up to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes. I use Better Than Bouillon to make broth because it has great flavor, is quite inexpensive compared to boxed or canned broths, and it keeps in the refrigerator for just about forever.
While the soup is simmering, mix the matzo ball dough. Add 3 large eggs and 3 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil to a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Add 3/4 cup matzo meal, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, a little freshly cracked pepper, and 3 Tbsp of water to the bowl. Stir until smooth. Let the mix refrigerate for 30 minutes so the matzo has time to absorb water and plump up.
This is what the matzo meal looks like, BTW. Kind of like bread crumbs, but it’s cracker crumbs. Take note, this is plain matzo meal, not matzo ball “mix”.
Once the soup has simmered for about 30 minutes, remove the chicken breast and use two forks to shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the soup. Taste the broth and adjust the salt if needed.
After the matzo ball mix has been refrigerated, it should be more stiff and dry.
Start forming the matzo ball dough into small balls, about the size of ping pong balls. Keep in mind that they’ll puff up a little as they cook. I got about 15 balls out of my mix. Drop the balls into the simmering soup one by one as they’re formed, making sure to return the lid after each one (to keep the broth simmering).
Once all the matzo balls are in the broth, let them simmer for about 20 minutes. Make sure the broth is simmering the whole time and the lid is not removed.
Once the matzo balls are puffed and cooked through, add a few more sprigs of fresh dill, then serve!
Mmmm, so warm and delicious!
You can’t go wrong with chicken and dumplings… in any form!
SO GOOD!! I just made the soup, all according to the ingredients & instructions & it tastes amazing! It was very easy to follow & a simple recipe. Will definitely save this recipe & make it again in the future.
This is updated from just over a year ago. Of all the recipes I make of any foods, this is the top winner and most made. Whenever my youngest daughter gets sick, she requests her soup meaning this. I believe it’s actually helped her feel better. Tori Avery has a similar recipe on her website and mentions Kosher for Passover baking powder that can be used during Pesach (Passover). It’s made by Gefen and sold on Amazon. You also could make schmaltz and use that for good flavor. Tori also has a good schmaltz recipe. Anyway this is a fantastic recipe whether the author is Jewish or not. A Jewish person making this recipe will know not to add regular baking powder. If they didn’t, they aren’t very observant. But don’t worry about all that. Just make this!
Ahhhhh, Jewish Penicillin! Just recovering from a stomach virus for the last 2 days, a bowl of this was just what the doctor ordered! Then I started thinking, I’ve never really embraced my Ashkenazi Jewish roots! It’s high time I made a pot of this myself. Thanks for the guidance. Can’t wait to try it!
Yes…schmaltz is ideal. I recently found out through genealogy tracing that my father’s side is Ashkenazi via Lithuania. So many dishes are similar to the Scandinavian recipes my mother cooked: latkes, schmear, lox, etc.
Not a huge difference between Matzo ball soup and the dumpling soup my Norwegian mother made! She rendered chicken fat for the dish, so I already knew how to make schmaltz
Made this last night – culture food night – for Rosh Hashanah – it was delicious!!!! I made a rustic loaf of bread and a salad from our garden -it was a great meal. My matzo balls fell apart and I think I know why – lesson learned. I did have to add a bit more broth towards the end. Thanks so much for a great recipe.
Made great matzo ball soup! My first time making matzo ball soup since I’m now out on my own in the adult world, and it turned out perfect!
I’ve always got a lot of matzo left over after Pesach (Passover) for making matzo brei, matzo ball soup and latkes.
I used four chicken thighs (since dark meat has more flavor than white meat), oiled and seasoned (salt, pepper, parsley and oregano, since I was out of dill) on both sides and seared under the broiler for about 10 minutes per side.
I removed the chicken from the pan, deglazed it with a little bit of white vinegar, sauteed the vegetables as described in the recipe.
I added the stock + 2 cups of water and simmered the stock, chicken and vegetables for 30 minutes.
Here’s the catch: I hand-crushed the matzo wafers into meal. It was a bit chunky and not homogenous, but it worked out fine in the end!
Took the meat off the bones, put it into the pot, dropped in the matzo balls (hand-formed) and simmered for 20 minutes.
The matzo balls were nice and dense but floated and it was delicious!
Jake
You should probably note that this recipe is NOT Kosher for Passover and why. The reason Matzo and Matzo Ball Soup exists is that Jews traditionally don’t eat anything leavened during passover. Matzo is unleavened bread. Baking Powder is a Leavening Agent! Taking the purpose of the making soup over Passover right out the window! I would hate for someone who didn’t know that’s what baking powder is, to serve this to an unwitting observant Jew over Passover. Who would never in a million years think to ask if there’s any leavening in it. I’m shocked you ever found a recipe with Baking Powder in it in the first place. This is the first time I’ve seen such a thing.
Marcy – what would you use instead to make it Kosher? Thanks,
Replace it with Kosher for Passover baking powder. It may say Parve or Pesadich. Gefen makes one for sale on Amazon so it is possible to use baking powder. I use regular the rest of the year.
I tried this but made it with vegetable broth to make it a little bit healthier. It was actually really good. Other recipes I found just were not as great.
This is the easiest and best recipe for matzo ball soup that I have ever found. I substituted 2 large shallots for the onion and added 2 slices of chopped green pepper. I also went to a Chinese market and bought Ga, which is Vietnamese chicken broth, which I feel makes the best soup of any kind. It costs about 99cents a can and I used 6 cans of 14.5 ounces each, so that upped the price of the soup, but it is very delicious and flavorful. My boyfriend had never had matzo ball soup and he had two big bowls of it and 5 of the matzo balls and loved it.
Hey. This is the first time I’ve ever seen a recipe, had the person mention it’s not of their culture/they’re a noob to it, and plug a few more authentic recipes. that’s super rad. Cheers.
– Jason
mine has no flavor :(
what should I add
You might just need to add a bit of salt. You’d be surprised how much salt can really make the flavors pop. If the chicken broth you used was not very good or doesn’t contain a lot of salt, the soup may end up bland.
Hi Beth, I mean this very respectfully but I wish you’d update this recipe to include a bit more specific information about this origins of matzo ball soup. It’s not just a cultural rendition of a dumpling – it’s a specifically Ashkenazi Jewish dish that is traditionally served at Passover dinners. Maybe I missed it but I don’t even see the word “Jewish” anywhere in this recipe post, which surprised me very much. I don’t expect a history lesson or anything if that’s not the style of your food blog, but a bit more information about the origins of cultural dishes like this one would be great!
I will absolutely do that. :) Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention. I definitely have a lot of work to do in this area and want to do the best I can to make things right. <3
Made for first time and now I am addicted! So tasty.
This was delicious, and somehow even better the second day. Thank you!
Never made Matzo Ball soup before this one and now I never have to look for another recipe. This was one of the best soups I have ever eaten. I am making a batch tonight for my wife to take down to My youngest daughter in college this weekend. She absolutely loves it and requests it whenever we visit. I never imagined the matzo balls would be as soft, creamy, and flavorful as they are. This will be one of my favorite recipes (and my kids) for a long, long time.
Thanks you so much for sharing
I’ve made this soup many times since Passover and first pinning it to never forget. My 10 yo daughter literally LOVES this recipe and has requested it a bunch of times in just a few months. I use 4 cups of Wegmans Food You Feel Good About chicken broth and then 1 T. of chicken Better than Boullion dissolved into 4 cups of hot water. If you have a Wegmans grocery, their broth adds much more flavor, but it has to be that particular one at least for our taste. I will always use this recipe, whether it’s Passover, Shabbos, or any day. These matzoh balls are the best recipe I’ve used.