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.

INGREDIENTS

Yield:About 15 matzo balls

• 4large eggs
• ¼cup schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), coconut oil or vegetable oil (kosher for Passover)
• ¼cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1cup matzo meal
• ¼teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 to 2tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 2tablespoons finely chopped parsley, dill or cilantro
• 1teaspoon salt, more for cooking
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1In a large bowl, combine the eggs, schmaltz, stock, matzo meal, nutmeg, ginger and parsley. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Gently mix with a whisk or spoon. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours or overnight.
2. Step 2To shape and cook the matzo balls, fill a wide, deep pan with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. With wet hands, take some of the mix and mold it into the size and shape of a Ping-Pong ball. Gently drop it into the boiling water, repeating until all the mix is used.
3. Step 3Cover the pan, reduce heat to a lively simmer and cook matzo balls about 30 to 40 minutes for al dente, longer for light. If desired, the cooked matzo balls can be transferred to chicken or vegetable soup and served immediately. Alternatively, they may be placed on a baking sheet and frozen, then transferred to a freezer bag and kept frozen until a few hours before serving; reheat in chicken or vegetable soup or broth.