Floater Matzo Ball Soup

Passover has never really been a favorite holiday of mine, but there was only one shining star during that meal and that is matzo ball soup. When I was younger, my grandma would make the best matzo balls. So light and fluffy that would float right to the top of the bowl. So when I set out to make matzo ball soup for the first time a few years ago, I went directly to the source. I called my grandma, hoping to learn all of her matzo ball secrets. And she told me that she just used the recipe on the back of the box! I guess sometimes that is the best place to start! So using that as a starting point, these matzo balls are then spiced up with salt, pepper, garlic powder, fresh dill, and I also like to use some Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt because it has some other dehydrated herbs and spices that are a great addition.

You can use melted shmaltz if you happen to have it, and it definitely does improve the flavor of the matzo balls, but I usually just use vegetable oil because I always have it on hand. Once you have your mix together, you have to let it sit for about 30 minutes before you start forming the matzo balls. This is because the matzo needs time to absorb the liquid, which will allow you to easily form balls when the mixture is ready. When you are ready to form your matzo balls, make sure not to pack them too tightly. You want them to be light and airy! You don’t want to squeeze the mix too much or your matzo balls will be more dense than you want them to be. Once your matzo balls are formed, you should cook them directly in your soup. You can boil them in water, but matzo balls are tiny little sponges that soak up whatever flavor you add to them. So matzo balls cooked in water will lack all of the delicious chicken flavor of those cooked in chicken soup. After about 30 minutes of cooking in your soup, you should see floating, fluffy, beautiful matzo balls! Just look how puffy they are – thanks, baking powder!

For the soup, I am a firm believer that you don’t have to make your own stock. You absolutely can, but boxed chicken broth, water, and additions like carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, plus lots of fresh dill make a delicious soup that cuts your cook time way down and still produces a rich and tasty soup.

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Floater Matzo Ball Soup

Everybody wants their matzo balls to float – this recipe will give you light and fluffy matzo balls with a signature float!

Course: Main Course

Ingredients

For the matzo balls

• 3/4 cup matzo meal (Do not substitute for whole wheat matzo meal unless you REALLY like the taste of whole wheat)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder (Or you can use Jane’s Crazy Mixed Up Salt!)
• 2 tbsp fresh minced dill
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 3 tbsp melted shmaltz or vegetable oil

For the soup

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (definitely makes this not kosher) or olive oil
• 1.5 cups chopped onion (About 1 medium onion)
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3/4 cup chopped carrots
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 32 oz containers of good chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh dill

Instructions

• Combine the matzo meal, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, ground pepper, and fresh minced dill in a medium bowl.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs and schmaltz/vegetable oil.
• Add the egg mixture to the matzo meal, and use a fork to mix until just combined. Try not to overmix!
• Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This will help the mixture firm up and ensure your matzo balls stay together when they are cooked.
• In the meantime, work on the broth. Melt the butter or heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions and garlic, stirring frequently.
• When they are softened and becoming translucent, add the carrots and celery. Cook until softened, stirring frequently.
• Add the chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Season to taste.
• It’s probably been 30 minutes at this point, so take your matzo ball mix out of the refrigerator and form them into 1 inch balls.
• Try to work them as little as possible, you do not want them densely packed. They should be light and airy! This will make about 20 matzo balls, depending on the size you make them. They will seem a little small, but they will puff up a bit when cooked.
• When the broth is boiling, reduce to a simmer and gently add your matzo balls to the pot. I use a ladle to place them in the broth.
• Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes. Don’t lift the lid until after the 30 minutes has passed! It should reveal floating little baby fluffy matzo balls!
• Stir in the fresh dill and season the soup again to taste. If you aren’t serving the matzo balls right away, make sure you separate the matzo balls from the both and store them separately. They will get mushy if they sit in the broth.
• Serve with more fresh dill on top! (I really like dill)