Easy Matzo Ball Soup Recipe Anyone Can Make (2024)

FAQs

What causes matzo balls to fall apart? ›

A quiet murmur: You don't have to worry too much about over-handling your matzo balls, but you should consider the vigorousness of your boil. Molly says it's incredibly important that your matzo balls cook at a simmer, because a roiling boil will be too harsh and could cause them to disintegrate.

“Well, you just stick some pieces of matzo in your food processor and pulverize them until you get them finely ground. Sort of like making your own breadcrumbs.”

While regular flour can be used as a substitute for matzo meal in some recipes, it may not provide the same texture and flavor. It's best to use alternatives like ground almonds, oats, or breadcrumbs for a closer match.

Add to that the benefits of vitamins A, C, and D in the broth, the anti-inflammatory properties of the soup vegetables, and a boost of energy from the carbohydrates in the matzo balls, and you've got a recipe for feeling better!

If a recipe calls for schmaltz and you don't have any, you can substitute melted butter, ghee, or your choice of cooking oil. You may miss the full-flavored goodness of schmaltz, but you can easily substitute any cooking fat in its place.

There is a great matzah ball debate – some people prefer airy, softy and fluffy matzo balls that bob on the surface while they cook, “floaters;” some prefer dense, richer ones with a toothsome quality that sink to the bottom of the pot, “sinkers.”

I think with medium-low heat, agitation from the boiling water with lots of room in the pot helps create fluffier balls. And every matzoh ball expert knows, DO NOT OPEN THE LID DURING COOKING, as the steam and pressure also helps make those light airy dumplings. So, as we say, NO PEEKING!

So, as you digest this fiber-less treat, it makes its way into the stomach and intestines, slowly creating hard, dry, slow stool. It's reasonable for that to lead to constipation and discomfort, especially if you're eating large quantities of matzo each day, Zolotnitsky explains.

Matzo Meal Substitutes

One acceptable substitute is almond flour. During any other time of year, crushed crackers such as saltines or oyster crackers and any breadcrumbs, including panko, can be used.

The extra level of scrutiny — and the labor-intensive process required to make handcrafted matzah — is largely what accounts for its high price: anywhere from $20 to $60 for a single pound.

What are the rules for matzo? ›

The flour must be ground from one of the five grains specified in Jewish law for Passover matzah: wheat, barley, spelt, rye or oat. Per Ashkenazic tradition, matzah made with wine, fruit juice, onion, garlic, etc., is not acceptable for use at any time during the Passover festival except by the elderly or unwell.

While each family has its own recipe, all matzo balls are made of three key components: matzo meal, fat, and eggs. Matzo meal simply refers to matzo crackers that are ground up into a fine meal.

But while its history is both ancient and fascinating, its ingredients are deceptively simple: Matzo balls consist of ground matzo meal mixed with eggs, water and fat or oil.

While matzo balls can cook in the soup, they tend to cloud the chicken broth. Try not to let the matzo balls sit in the soup longer than an hour or they may begin to absorb too much of the soup and fall apart. If separated from the soup, cooked matzo balls last about 5 days.

While each family has its own recipe, all matzo balls are made of three key components: matzo meal, fat, and eggs. Matzo meal simply refers to matzo crackers that are ground up into a fine meal. You can also find matzo ball mix in most supermarkets; it consists of matzo meal, spices, and preservatives.

Matzo is itself typically made of wheat flour mixed with some water, and salt and sometimes olive oil for flavor. It's rolled very thinly and baked quickly at a high temperature. Talmudic tradition dictates that matzo should be completed in under 18 minutes, from mixing the dough to fully baked.

German, Austrian, and Alsatian Jews were the first to prepare matzo balls for their soup; middle eastern Jews introduced additional variations. An early recipe for matzoh ball soup, made with beef stock, is found in The Jewish manual, or, Practical information in Jewish and modern cookery (1846).

The manner of rolling the matzo ball mixture influences the consistency. I've found the matzo balls are denser when, after being rolled into balls, they are chilled again for a few minutes. Lastly, the matzo meal itself can make a difference. Be sure to use unsalted meal in the recipe below, not ``matzo ball mix.