Matzo Ball Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep matzo balls from falling apart? ›

Chill the matzo mixture: The mixture should be chilled for at least 30 minutes up to 2 days before shaping the matzo balls. This gives the matzo meal time to absorb the liquid, resulting in more cohesive matzo balls that don't fall apart during cooking.

Once all of the matzo balls are in the boiling water, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove 1 matzo ball with a slotted spoon. Cut in half to check for doneness. The matzo ball is done when the inside is not dark or wet.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, schmaltz, stock, matzo meal, nutmeg, ginger and parsley. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Gently mix with a whisk or spoon. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours or overnight.

Go by texture and doneness. It won't be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center. Serve two or three matzo balls per bowl with hot chicken soup ladled over them.

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. And if you've already gone through all this trouble, you definitely don't want that.

One thing is for sure though, every matzo ball floats right out of the pot, then sinks. Even the dense and chewy version sunk after soaking in broth overnight. All in all, there's no correct way to make a matzo ball. You can make them any way you like them!

If you overcook them, they'll become tough and rubbery. The best way to cook matzo balls is to simmer them in a pot of salted water for 30-40 minutes. Season the soup well. Chicken soup is a blank canvas, so you can season it however you like.

Note that they'll “look done” after about 10 minutes, however it really does take around 45 minutes to cook all the way to the center of the ball. If you cut one open and the center looks yellow and grainy, like the batter, it's not done yet. You can't overcook a matzo ball. It's not possible.

Strict standards govern the baking of the matzo: its flour and water must be mixed very quickly to prevent fermentation, and it must be pricked during the baking process so it won't puff or rise. The matzo is then either left to harden and crisp or pulverized into a meal.

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!

Why are my matzo balls hard in the middle? ›

Why do matzo balls get so hard? - Quora. The answer to why some matzah balls come out like rubber balls instead of fluffy clouds, is the addition of water to the batter. It doesn't matter if you add flat water or seltzer to the mix, just don't do it.

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).

We give you the choice: Using schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) produces the most flavorful matzo balls, while vegetable or canola oil offer convenience. Optional seltzer helps to aerate the matzo balls so that they're light and tender, while optional baking powder allows you to make insanely light and fluffy ones.

The fluffier they are, the more the cooking water will penetrate and wash out any soup used in making them (as well as salt and spices). But even with the firm kind, the difference is almost negligible, so I've switched to water. The fat is another ingredient of controversy.

Whether you prefer a light and fluffy matzo ball or a chewier and denser one, there is a recipe out there for you to try. One thing is for sure though, every matzo ball floats right out of the pot, then sinks. Even the dense and chewy version sunk after soaking in broth overnight.

Cooked matzo balls may be stored in the refrigerator, covered in water, up to 3 days.

If you want dense sinkers, use water and omit the baking powder. For light matzo balls that still have some substance, use seltzer but omit the baking powder.