Matzo ball soup for the soul

I was always sick as a child. I ate my fair share of congee and chicken noodle soup. With congee, I always ate it with a 油炸粿/餜/鬼 aka youtiao and a dinner roll with my chicken noodle soup. However, matzo ball soup fulfilled that combo for me. It was such a comfort food because it was like a large dinner roll soaked into chicken broth. Absolutely perfection when you have an extremely sore throat.  As I got older, I didn’t find matzo ball soup as filling. That’s why this mashup was created! It’s a mixture of chicken noodle soup with matzo ball soup. The ground chicken is lean protein that gives the chicken broth extra flavor while filling up my belly. This recipe makes a lot so it’s great to portion it out, pop it in the freezer so when you are feeling under the weather, just take one out and feed your body back to good health.

 
 
 

Matzo ball soup for the soul

Prep time: 20 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes

Yields: 5 servings

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

1 pound of ground chicken, preferably leg meat

1/2 cup matzo meal

2 tablespoons chopped dill, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons schmaltz* (chicken fat) or duck fat or vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 clove garlic, finely grated

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 cups chicken broth

1 medium carrot, small dice

2 stalks celery, small dice, plus leaves for garnish

1 bay leaf

Instructions:

  1. Cut the onion in half and peel both sides. Using a box grater, grate half on the large holes and add to a medium size bowl. Finely chop the remaining  half and set aside. 

  2. Add the ground chicken, matzo meal, chopped herbs, schmaltz, ground ginger, grated garlic, egg, Kosher salt and few grinds of black pepper into the medium bowl with the grated onion. Mix well with a rubber spatula or hands. 

  3. Form  mixture into 1-inch balls and set aside on a plate. Chill for 5 minutes until slightly firm. 

  4. Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth over high heat in a large saucepan along with the chopped carrot, celery, bay leaf and reserved onions. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 5 minutes. 

  5. Gently drop in each chicken matzo ball into the broth and allow it to simmer until they are cooked through, about 7 minutes. Once they are floating, scoop up a few and place in a bowl. Top with broth and veggies. Garnish with a few sprigs of dill and celery leaves. Enjoy!

Cook’s Note

What is schmaltz?
Schmaltz is rendered chicken or goose fat. Traditionally used in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. This product is usually located by the meat section or you can always ask your local butcher.