Matzo Ball Soup

Description

Matzo ball soup is an iconic Jewish-American dish that is often eaten during the Jewish holiday of passover. The dish gets its name because it contains dumplings made of matzo meal. Matzo is a type of unleavened Jewish flatbread that is traditionally eaten during Passover, which symbolizes the unleavened bread that the Jews ate during the Biblical story of Exodus. Matzo balls originated from German and Austrian knoedel dumplings, which were adapted by Central European Jews as a way to make use of leftover matzo crumbs. In the early 20th century, Jewish immigrants to the United States still referred to this dish by its German name of knoedel, or Polish name of knoedela. In the 1930s, the Jewish-American Manischewitz company began packaging the product under the name of “Alsatian feathery balls”, which later began to be referred to as “matzo balls”. In the US today, this dish is still a popular staple in many Jewish households, as well as in kosher delis and grocery stores.

(Source: NPR)

Ingredients

• Chicken Broth (see recipe here)

• 1 large carrot, diced

• 1 rib celery, diced

• 1/2 medium onion, diced

• 1 large parsnip, diced

• 2 dill sprigs + extra for garnish

• Shredded chicken

Matzo Balls

• 1/2 cup matzo meal (75 g)

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or schmaltz (15 ml)

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp chicken broth (15 ml)

• Salt & pepper

Preparation

To make the matzo balls, combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow to hydrate for 30 minutes. Roll into small, 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls.

Bring the chicken broth to a simmer and add the dill. Add the matzo balls, then cover and turn the heat to medium low. Cook for 40 minutes. When there are 10 minutes of cook time remaining, add the carrot, celery, parsnip and shredded chicken to the broth. Serve in a bowl and garnish with dill.

Notes

• Schmaltz is rendered poultry fat and is traditional in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. For this recipe, you can use the fat from the chicken broth that floats to the top and hardens if you refrigerate the broth.