Authentic Matzo Ball Soup Recipes

MATZO BALL SOUP

Steps:

• Place chicken in a large soup kettle; add the broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 55-65 minutes or until meat is tender, skimming the surface as foam rises., Remove chicken and set aside until cool enough to handle. Strain broth and skim fat. Return broth to the kettle; add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, pepper and remaining salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender., Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk eggs and oil. Add matzo ball mix and onion; toss with a fork until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes., Remove and discard skin and bones from chicken; chop chicken and add to soup. Stir in parsley. Bring to a boil. Drop 12 rounded teaspoonfuls of matzo ball dough into boiling soup. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a matzo ball comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering)., With a slotted spoon, carefully remove matzo balls and place one in each soup bowl. Ladle soup over top.

MATZOH BALL SOUP

Steps:

• Trim off neck flap all the way up to the top of the wishbone. Trim fat and skin from around the back cavity of the chicken. Reserve both for schmaltz and grebenes. Cut chicken into quarters. Place meat in large pot with onions, and cover with about 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat , and simmer 2 hours.
• Add carrots and celery to the soup; simmer an additional hour. Season to taste with salt.
• Remove chicken pieces, and set aside. You may reserve them for another use, or shred the meat for the soup. Keep the chicken covered, and at room temperature before shredding.
• Dice reserved skin and fat into 1 inch pieces. Cook in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally. Make sure the pan never gets so hot as to cause the rendered fat to smoke. When the grebenes are crisp and brown, remove them to a cutting board and drain schmaltz into a small nonplastic bowl to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, mince the grebenes finely.
• To make the matzoh balls, blend fat or oil and eggs together. Mix matzoh meal and salt together. Combine the two mixtures, and mix well. Add 4 1/2 tablespoons soup stock or water; mix until uniform. Stir in minced grebenes. Cover bowl, and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Bring soup to a boil. Reduce flame, and drop balls approximately 1 inch in diameter into the slightly boiling water. Add dill. Cover pot, and cook 30 to 40 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER FROM THE POT WHLE COOKING!

JOAN NATHAN'S MATZO BALL SOUP

Steps:

• In 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.
• To 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.
• Cover 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.

MATZOH BALL SOUP

Steps:

• Wash the chicken with water and place in pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off bubbling foam as it forms. Add celery, carrots, onion, herbs, salt and pepper and simmer, half-covered at lower heat, for at least 45 minutes, until the chicken seems done. The chicken will come away easily from the bone. Pour soup through strainer to get a clear broth. Let cool. When broth has completely cooled, skim off the fat and save for the matzoh balls.
• In a mixing bowl, mix together 4 eggs and 4 tablespoons chicken fat. Stir in the matzoh meal and salt. Add 1/4 hot water. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Form the matzoh dough into balls the size of walnuts. Bring the salted water to a boil. Add the matzoh balls, cover, and cook for 20 minutes (don't even peek!). Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Remove matzoh balls from hot water with a slotted spoon and add to the simmering chicken broth just a few minutes before serving.

MARGE'S MATZO BALL SOUP

Steps:

• In a small nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add minced onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes; let cool.
• In a medium bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and matzo meal. Add seltzer and cooled onion; stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine chicken, celery, carrot, and diced onion. Add broth and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook 30 minutes.
• With oiled hands, shape matzo mixture into 8 balls, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 15 minutes.
• Remove chicken from broth; shred meat, and discard bones. Return broth to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add matzo balls; cover, and cook until expanded, 30 to 35 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

TRADITIONAL HARD MATZO BALL SOUP

Steps:

• 1. Place everything for the soup except the noodles into a large stock pot.
• 2. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until meat is very tender.
• 3. To make the matzo balls, place the crushed matzo in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak 30 minutes.
• 4. After soaking, drain the matzo well. I place them in a large mesh sieve over a bowl to drip and press on them some. Set aside.
• 5. Once chicken is done, remove it and de-bone.
• 6. Discard the celery, onion, and garlic. I usually slice the carrots into the finished soup.
• 7. Strain the broth if you want a pretty soup.
• 8. Put it back into the pot and bring to a boil.
• 9. Start a pot of plain water to boil. Add salt.
• 10. Mix the matzo with the egg, oil, and enough matzo meal to make it hold together. It will be a stiff dough.
• 11. Form into balls.
• 12. Drop the matzo balls into the simmering plain water. They will float when done, about 8-10 min.
• 13. Drain.
• 14. Cover to keep warm.
• 15. Cook the egg noodles in the broth.
• 16. Add the chicken and carrots back to the broth.
• 17. To serve, place one or two matzo balls in a bowl and spoon the soup over.