About once a year, I make this matzo ball soup recipe for my family. I always make a large portion because everyone asks for leftovers and, like many soups, it gets even more delicious after being stored in the fridge overnight. This recipe combines a delicious and light homemade chicken soup with fluffy matzo balls.
The Secret to Light, Tasty Matzo Balls
There are two ways to make matzo balls light and fluffy, either add seltzer or baking powder. I prefer to use baking powder since it’s more consistent and easier to do. My perfect matzo ball is light and fluffy, but solid enough that it won’t fall apart in the soup. The key to getting this consistency is for every cup of matzo meal, I use 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
In traditional Eastern European cooking, matzo balls are unseasoned, other than some salt and sometimes chicken schmaltz. Instead, I’ll add extra seasoning to the matzo ball as well as chicken broth into the mixture so that every bite is delicious and keeps people coming back for seconds. For this recipe, be sure to save a bit of the chicken broth early on in the cooking process. This allows the soup to cool before adding it to the matzo ball mix. If the soup is above too hot, it can cook the eggs in the matzo ball batter which makes the matzo balls dense and chewy.
Using Better Than Bouillon instead of Chicken Stock
I prefer to mix Reduced Sodium Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base and water instead of buying chicken stock. Better Than Bouillon is a chicken base concentrate that tastes like chicken stock when dissolved. I have tried to use the regular sodium version, but I found it to be too salty for me. If you can’t find the low sodium version, reduce the salt in this recipe and salt to taste once all seasonings have been added to the soup.
If you can’t find this, you can substitute it with an equal amount of low sodium chicken stock. Just be sure to use chicken stock without any added flavors as you’ll be adding additional seasonings in.
Why Brine the Chicken
Brining the chicken is an important piece of making the chicken delicious in our soup. The salt makes the chicken juicer since it helps the chicken maintain moisture while cooking. The sugar adds a slightly sweet flavor and helps it brown better when seared. I made this many times in the past without brining the chicken and it always turned out tough and dry.
Storing The Soup
After the pot cools, place the entire pot into the fridge and let it sit overnight for the best flavor before putting it into smaller containers. If it’s not possible to fit the entire pot in your fridge, separate the soup into several containers. Just be sure to have all the ingredients completely submerged in soup so they can absorb all the flavor.
To reheat, add the cold soup to a pot and cook with the lid on over medium-low heat until hot and garnished in the bowl. Alternatively, the soup can be heated up in the microwave on medium heat.
Fluffy Matzo Ball Soup
Prep time
1 hr 0 mins
Cook time
2 hrs 0 mins
Total time
3 hrs 0 mins
Yields
Ingredients
Chicken Brine
Soup
Matzo Balls
Garnish
Instructions
Chicken Brine
Combine the chicken, salt, sugar, and water to brine in a large bowl
Add the chicken to the brine.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until the matzo balls are made, whichever is longer.
Soup
Bring water to a boil on high heat and add in the onions, carrot, celery, Better Than Bouillon, bay leaves, dried oregano, salt, dried thyme, black pepper, dried rosemary, and fresh dill.
Stir and reduce heat to medium-low.
Reserve some soup broth for matzo balls.
Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Matzo Ball
Add eggs and vegetable oil to a large bowl and beat the eggs.
Combine all ingredients except for the soup broth and mix until uniform.
Add the soup broth and mix until well combined.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cook the Chicken
Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry.
Using a cast iron pan or skillet on medium-high heat, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
Sear the chicken on both sides until brown and place on a plate/bowl to cool. Continue until all the chicken pieces are done. Add more oil to the pan in between batches if needed.
After all the chicken is cooked, cut the chicken into chunk size cubes.
When the soup is done, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and add the chicken and any additional juices on the plate/bowl to the soup. If the heat or lid is left on, the chicken can become dry.
Cook the Matzo Balls
Using a wide pot with a high rim, bring about 2-3 inches deep of water to a boil
Lower the heat to a simmer and add some salt.
While the water is simmering, remove the matzo ball mixture from the fridge.
Moisten hands and form 1 inch balls.
Alternatively, you can use a 2 tbsp cookie scoop to quickly portion out the balls. Place balls onto a plate or baking sheet until all the mixture is used. Then, wet your hands and shape each portion into a ball.
Place the matzo balls into the pot and cook for 20 minutes with the lid on.
Gently flip the matzo balls after 10 minutes if they have not turned on their own.
Remove one matzo ball and cut it in half to make sure soft throughout. The center should be slightly darker than the outside of the ball. If this is not the case, continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the balls from the water and transfer them into the chicken soup.
Garnish
Garnish with dried parsley, fresh parsley, or roughly chopped dill on top.
Enjoy!
Nutrition
Servings: 24
・ Calories: 158 kcal
・ Carbohydrates: 8 g
・ Protein: 13.6 g
・ Fat: 7.8 g
・ Sodium: 1005 mg
・ Fiber: 1.2 g
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