Matzo Ball Minestrone Recipes

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!

VEGETARIAN MATZO BALL SOUP

Steps:

• Make the matzo balls: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, salt, and pepper until well combined. Add matzo meal and seltzer; mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Make the soup: Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, sweet potato, parsnips, ginger, and garlic; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add water or broth, bay leaves, and thyme; reduce heat and let simmer until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Do not let liquid come to a boil. Remove from heat; strain and discard solids. Add dill and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
• Moisten hands with water and, using your hands, form matzo batter into about 1 1/2-inch balls. At this point, matzo balls can be transferred to freezer until frozen and then transferred to airtight containers and kept frozen for up to 1 month. Frozen matzo balls can be added directly to boiling water.
• Place matzo balls in boiling water; cover and cook until light and fluffy, about 20 minutes. Carefully transfer matzo balls to warm soup; serve immediately.

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.

BEST MATZAH BALLS

Steps:

• Whisk eggs and olive oil in a bowl until combined; stir both amounts of club soda and salt into egg mixture. Mix matzo meal into wet ingredients to form a workable dough; if mixture is too wet, stir in 1/4 cup more matzo meal. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Wet your hands and form matzo ball dough into walnut-size balls. Gently place matzo balls into boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer matzo balls until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

BUBBIE'S HEARTY MATZO BALL SOUP

Steps:

• Place chicken into a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken meat is very tender and falling off the bones, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove chicken from pot and pick chicken meat from bones when cool enough to handle, discarding skin and bones. Shred chicken meat.
• Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large soup pot; stir shredded chicken meat, carrots, celery, turnip, parsnips, leek, onion, and dill into broth. Turn heat to low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Stir matzo ball mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and 1/2 cup water together in a bowl. Form mixture into 1-inch balls using wet hands to prevent sticking. Return broth to a boil and gently drop matzo balls into the boiling soup. Reduce heat again and simmer soup until matzo balls have increased in size and are cooked through, about 20 more minutes.