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This matzo ball soup is a classic comfort food. With tender, light matzo balls in a homemade chicken broth, this made-from-scratch soup will be a hit with your whole family.
Why I made this Recipe!
You might wonder, what is a Lebanese woman doing making a traditional Jewish soup? Hear me out.
I was having lunch with a Jewish friend recently, and he asked if I ever had Matzo Ball Soup. I said no. Then he said, “Well, let me tell you all about it”. He went on to tell me how his mother makes it, all his warm stories, and that he has been making the same recipe for years. With so much pride in his mother’s recipe, I promised him I would make it and give it a try, even though I didn’t even know what “schmaltz” meant until he told me. Lol
He shared his recipe with me, and with some research and a few tweaks, this recipe came to light. I have to admit, I texted him a few times to help me with it and to make sure I did it right.
This Matzo Ball Soup is made up of two simple components: chicken broth and matzo balls. With such clean flavors here, I like to make my own chicken broth, as I find it tastes far better than any store-bought broth. It’s easy to do, too! Just simmer some simple vegetables with chicken for an hour, and you not only end up with a rich stock, but also tender chicken meat for the soup.
For more warming winter soup recipes, try my recipes for Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup or Chicken and Cabbage Soup.
Recipe Overview
Tips Before You Get Started
- The matzo ball mixture is best made as the chicken broth cooks. This gives the matzo meal time to soak up the liquid from the eggs and water, making the mix easy to handle when it’s time to roll into balls.
- Use dampened hands when rolling the matzo ball mix into balls. It stops the dough from sticking to your hands, making the process super easy.
- You can line a colander with cheesecloth when straining the broth for the cleanest texture as it will make sure no small pieces end up in the soup.
- As the chicken broth is cooking, skim off any white foam or scum from the top of the liquid and discard it.
Ingredients Needed
Below are the ingredients you’ll need to make Matzo Ball Soup. Full quantities can be found in the recipe card further down in the post.
For the soup:
- Chicken drumstick and chicken breast: I use a combination of skinless chicken breasts and bone-in, skin-on drumsticks for this recipe. The bones and skin from the drumsticks will infuse the broth with rich flavor, while the chicken breast provides tender shreds of meat.
- Yellow onion: You could use a white onion if you prefer. The onion adds a deep, savory note to the broth.
- Garlic: Make sure you clean the whole head of garlic very well, as its skin is left on when you cook it in the broth.
- Veggies: Celery, Parsnips, and Carrots
- Bouillon cubes: I use chicken bouillon cubes to enhance the meaty flavor of the homemade broth. You could also use vegetable bouillon cubes if that’s what you’ve got to hand.
For the matzo balls:
- Eggs: These bind the matzo ball dough together and, as the matzo balls simmer in the broth, the eggs firm up, making the balls tender and light.
- Dill: The flavor of dill is essential to a classic matzo ball soup. Fresh dill is best here for the strongest taste.
- Matzo meal: This is made from ground matzo crackers and forms the main ‘bulk’ of the matzo balls. You can buy pre-ground crackers or make the meal yourself by grinding matzo crackers in a food processor until fine.
- Baking powder: For the fluffiest matzo balls, it helps the dough puff up as the balls simmer in the broth.
- Melted butter: A bit of melted butter in the dough tenderizes them and gives them a richer flavor. You can use chicken fat (schmaltz) or avocado oil instead of the butter to keep things dairy-free.
- Sea salt, ground black pepper, and Filtered water
How to Make Matzo Ball Soup
Start the chicken broth
Season the chicken meat with salt and pepper, then add it to a large soup pot. Add the halved onions, halved garlic, halved celery sticks, halved parsnip, and the two halved carrots. Crumble the bouillon cubes and cover with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour until the meat is tender.
✏️ If you notice any white foam forming on the surface of the water as the broth cooks, skim it off and discard.
Make the matzo ball mixture
Combine the eggs, dill, matzo meal, baking powder, melted butter, water, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix until a soft dough forms. Cover and leave to sit as the soup finishes cooking.
✏️ I find it’s best to mix this up just after starting to cook the broth so that the mixture has some time to rest. This allows the matzo meal to absorb the liquid, making the dough easier to handle when it comes time to shape the balls.
Strain the broth
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Set a large colander over a large bowl. Strain the soup through it and discard the vegetable solids. Shred the chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones.
✏️ For the cleanest broth, you can line the colander with cheesecloth, as this will prevent any small solids from slipping through.
Finish the broth
Pour the strained broth back into the pot and add the shredded chicken meat. Add the sliced carrots and bring to a simmer.
Shape and cook the matzo balls
Take spoonfuls of the matzo ball dough and roll into balls. Add them to the simmering broth and cook for 10-12 minutes.
✏️ Use wet hands to shape the matzo balls. The mixture is sticky, so damp hands help keep it from getting too messy.
Garnish and serve
Divide the soup between bowls and garnish with more fresh dill, then serve and enjoy!
Common Questions
Matzo ball soup has simple clean flavors of rich chicken broth infused with garlic, onions, carrot and parsnips with dill-flecked matzo balls which are savory and light.
The leftovers will last in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes you can freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight container. I find it’s best to separate the matzo balls from the broth and freeze them separately so they don’t fall apart when you defrost the soup.
Storage Tips
Fridge: Let the soup cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. You can separate out the matzo balls and store them in a separate container if you like to stop them from getting too soft. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Remove the matzo balls from the soup, then transfer them to an airtight container. Transfer the cooled soup to a separate container. Freeze the balls and soup for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat: Warm the soup and balls together in a pot until piping hot. Alternatively, microwave in a microwave-safe bowl until piping hot.
You May Also Like
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
- Homemade Vegetable Soup
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Italian Chicken Soup
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
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Matzo Ball Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken drumsticks, bone in, skin on
- 1 pound chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered
- 1 medium head garlic, thoroughly washed and cut in half
- 4 medium celery stalks, halved
- 1 medium parsnips, halved
- 4 large carrots, 2 halved and 2 thinly sliced
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 10 cups filtered water
Matzo balls:
- 5 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 cup matzo meal, ground matzo crackers
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup filtered water
Instructions
- Season the 1 pound chicken drumsticks and 1 pound chicken breast with salt and pepper and place in a large soup pot.
- Add 1 large yellow onion (quartered), 1 medium head garlic (halved), 4 medium celery stalks (halved), 1 medium parsnips (halved) and 2 of the 4 large carrots (halved). Crumble in the 2 chicken bouillon cubes and add 10 cups filtered water.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook the soup for 1 hour, until the chicken is fully cooked through.
- While the soup cooks, make the matzo balls. In a medium bowl, whisk the 5 large eggs. Add 3 tablespoons fresh dill, 1 cup matzo meal, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1/4 cup filtered water, a generous pinch of Sea salt and ground pepper, and mix thoroughly to combine.
- Cover and allow it to sit until the soup has finished cooking.
- Once the soup is ready, prepare your station. Place a large colander over a large bowl. Carefully pour the soup over and sieve the broth. Return the broth back into the pot and place over low heat. Add in 2 carrots (sliced) and allow it to simmer.
- Shred the cooked chicken and place it into the soup pot. Discard all the leftovers (bones, skin, vegetables).
- Take spoonfuls from the matzo mixture and roll it between your palms to create round balls.
- Add the balls to your simmering soup pot and continue to cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Garnish the soup with extra dill and enjoy!
Notes
Tips:
- Make the matzo ball mixture while the broth cooks so the matzo meal has time to absorb the liquid and is easier to roll.
- Use slightly damp hands when shaping the matzo balls to prevent sticking.
- For a clear broth, strain it through a colander lined with cheesecloth
- Skim off any foam that rises to the top of the broth as it simmers.
-
If available, use chicken fat (schmaltz) instead of butter in the matzo balls for extra flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
