Matzo ball soup is a Jewish traditional dumpling soup and it is the first traditional dish my mother in law cooked for me and then taught me to cook. Ryan and I are a mixed religion couple and I love to celebrate my catholic traditions and his jewish one. This often results in a lot of cooking around similar times of the year!

Matzo ball soup is traditionally eaten to celebrate Passover, when no levened grains are to be consumed. Matzo meal mixed with eggs, oil and herbs, boiled in stock and served with vegetables or meat or both. Matzo balls remind me of canederli, brea dumplings from Northern Italy, and I like them so much that I tend to make them every time I make chicken stock!

Over the years I learned that there are differing opinions on whether matzo balls should float or sink in the soup and, as such, various recipes that uses different ratios of ingredients. I personally like them fluffy and soft, rather than dense, and this recipe makes the perfect floating matzo balls.

Ingredients

• 52 g matzo meal
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (see notes if prefer not to use during Passover)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• Pepper to taste
• 2 large eggs
• 1.5 tbsp safflower oil
• 1/5 tbsp minced fresh dill or parsley (optional)
• 1.5 l chicken or vegetables stock (I highly recommend using homemade stock)

Directions

1. Mix the matzo flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and salt in a bowl

2. In a separate bowl combine the eggs and sunflower oil

3. Add the egg mixture and the mice dill to the dry ingredients and stir to combine using a fork.

4. Cover the mixture and let it rest in the fridge for 30-60 minutes

5. Once the time is up, warm up the stock and bring it to boil. While the stock is warming up, take the matzo mixture and make 10 walnut size balls.

Do not over work the mixture when making the balls.

6. When the stock starts boiling, delicately add the balls, covert pot with a lid, lower the heat to simmer and let it cook for at least 30-40 minutes until they are soft and cooked throughout.

Make sure not to lift the lid until the 30 minutes are up! Once ready the matzo balls should have doubled in size and be floating in the stock.

After the first 30 minutes of cooking, check if they are ready by slicing one in half. The ball should have a similar colour and consistency all the way to the center. If the middle looks darker, then you will need to cook them a bit longer. The balls will be cooked when they are saturated with the stock and and cooked throughout.

7. Use two or three balls per serving. Serve them with the stock, some boiled vegetables and garnish with dill or parsley.

Notes

1. I like cooking the matzo balls directly in the stock, rather than in boiling water. The balls absorb some of the stock while cooking and gain in flavour.

2. I like vegetables in my matzo soup, so I usually add carrots to the stock at the same time as the matzo balls, so

3. You can store any leftover soup and matzo balls in the fridge in separate containers. Remove the matzo balls from the stock and let them cool completely before storing them in the fridge.

4. You can also freeze the cooked matzo balls, again let them cool completely before placing them in an air tight container or bag and freeze them

5. If you prefer not to use baking soda, then you should separate the egg yolks and whites. Mix the egg yolks with the vegetable oil and incorporate the mixture with the dry ingredients and minced dill or parsley, as per step 2 and 3 of the recipe. Then whip the egg whites and gently fold them into the mixture so to keep fluffiness of the mixture. Follow steps 4-7 of the recipe.

Enjoy making it and let me know if you have any comments or questions!

If you want to make this recipe and share it on your social media please tag me using @prepandproperrecipes and the tag #prepandproperrecipes