Make these for the Passover holiday (or year-round!) all will enjoy, they are delicious, fluffy and tender. The only ones I make!
Nothing says Passover like a good bowl of matzo ball soup.
Matzo balls are more traditionally known as kneidlach (Yiddish for dumplings.)
Don’t despair if you Mother or Bubbe never graced you with lessons of rolling and poaching the perfect Matzo Ball. My recipe will explain each step – gluten free or regular, this method produces light and tender matzo balls.
METHOD:
Shape the matzo balls into large sized balls, or create miniatures sized ones – cook them separately as they cook quicker.
Homemade broth is essential, this you can make ahead of time and freeze. Use the chicken fat, which will accumulate on the top to enrich the flavor of the matzo balls, and for rolling them too.
To serve, add Spring Vegetables from my list to the broth before serving. Cook them until crisp, still with flavor and color. Ladle soup into individual bowls with the vegetables and top with a matzo ball. Garnish with celery leaves and dill sprigs… I always add a sprig of dill on top of each matzo ball too.
Enjoy this Jewish comfort food – not only for the holidays, but a year-round treat in a bowl.
Karen
Matzo Ball Soup with Spring Vegetables – Gluten-Free
Perhaps the most beloved, of all Passover dishes – Matzo Ball Soup is traditionally served at the beginning of the Seder meal. Make my Gluten-Free Matzo Balls, all will enjoy the soup – they are fluffy & delicious!
Equipment
- 1 large soup pot
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, I use pasture raised
- 2 tablespoons chicken fat
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, expeller pressed
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons dil & parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons seltzer water
- 1 cup gluten free matzo meal
- vegetables , see list below
- 14 cups homemade chicken broth
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs well. Add chicken fat, oil, sea salt, chopped herbs and the seltzer. Mix to incorporate all. Add the matzo meal. Stir with a rubber spatula until well mixed. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm and cold.
- Fill a large pot with 6 quarts of water, and bring to a boil. Season with a bit of salt.
- Lay a piece of waxed paper on your work surface, will hold 14 matzo balls. Using a spoon, or a 2″ cookie scoop, (as I do) –Oil hands with chicken fat or oil. Scoop a mound of the mixture (the size of a large walnut), add to the palms of your hands, and gently roll into a round ball. Place on the waxed paper. Repeat to make 14 balls. Adding more fat to your hands when necessary.
- Make some mini sized ones if you like: Scoop out a portion, cut into thirds and roll. Cook these separately for 15 minutes until light and cooked through.
- Drop the balls into the boiling water and cover the pot. Cook at a boil, but a little lower than a full boil. Keep covered (I shake the pot while it cooks – be careful of the boiling water.)
- Cook for 30 minutes, can test one until it is fluffy, and cooked through. If slightly underdone, turn the heat off. The matzo balls will sink to the bottom and continue to poach for a few minutes.For denser matzo balls, cook 5 minutes less.
- Lift each ball out next to the sink, with a slotted spoon and drop the cooked balls into a large pan of cold water. When cool, drain water. Add the matzo balls to your warm broth. Can store the cooled matzo balls in the refrigerator a day or two ahead, being careful not to crowd them.
Finish the Soup:
- Place the broth in a large, heavy pot. Bring to a simmer. Cut vegetables and cook in the broth, covered until firm but still vibrant in color.
Vegetables:
- Use as many as you like carrots – orange and yellow, cut into 1/3″ slices. Asparagus – Cut off the tips, slice in half lengthwise. Cut the stalks into 1/3″ circles (peel them if fat.) Sugar Snap Peas – string the peas, cut into 1/3″ slices. Celery – Peel and cut into 1/3″ slices – KEEP the celery leaves, add them to the pot just before serving, and some for garnish.
Herbs:
- Flat Leaf Parsley – Add some chopped to the pot before serving; 2 tablespoons. Dill – Make small springs. When serving – top each Matzo Ball with a dill sprig, add some more to the pot of broth if you like.
- Soup for Vegetarians? No problem… make my Vegetable Stock in a Wok (see recipe.)– Use a neutral oil in the matzo balls, and to roll them (omitting the chicken fat.)
Notes
Can shape some matzo balls into mini sized, these will cook quicker.
This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Calories: 132kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 8gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 258mgPotassium: 234mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 82IUVitamin C: 0.05mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Karen – these matzo balls cook beautifully and taste so good. I make these gluten free ones and all enjoy. The cookie scoop is a good idea to keep them the same size. All the herbs add to the flavor! And, adding vegetables to the broth is nothing I have thought of before and adds beauty and flavor. A keeper recipe!
Thank you Sarah for your comment! I’m so happy you love this recipe, seems like there are more guests requiring gluten free offerings – and these do taste so good. 😀Karen