The key to a superlative matzo ball soup recipe—one with an aromatic golden broth, tender matzo balls, and deep chickeny flavor throughout—is all in the fat. Rendered chicken fat (or schmaltz) appears like magic atop homemade chicken stock as it chills. Once cold, you can spoon it off and use it to infuse perfectly fluffy matzo balls with rich flavor. Use half a whole chicken, bone-in chicken breasts, or any 4-lb. array of bones and other chicken parts to make the broth. If you’re using pieces with the meat still attached, feel free to shred the chicken after cooking and add it back to the soup (or save the shredded chicken for another use).
While some matzo ball recipes use seltzer or baking powder for leavening, this version just asks for a light hand (and a high ratio of eggs). To form the dumplings, dip your hands into a small bowl of cold water and ever so carefully coax the matzo ball mixture into spheres. Keeping your hands damp will prevent the mixture from sticking (it’s also a good method for shaping meatballs). Whatever you do, “don’t work too hard to shape them,” says cookbook author Mitchell Davis: “Rolling the matzo balls around for too long toughens them up.”
While the broth can be made a few days ahead, matzo balls are best on the day they’re made, but you can prepare them an hour or so in advance. Transfer the cooked matzo balls to a baking sheet coated with vegetable oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. When ready to serve, bring the broth back to a simmer, drop in the matzo balls to warm them, ladle into bowls, and serve.
This recipe has been adapted for style from ‘Kitchen Sense’ by Mitchell Davis. Buy the full book on Amazon.
Ingredients
Broth:
½ large chicken (about 2½ pounds), cut into pieces, or a combination of necks, backs, wings, and other chicken parts to equal 4 pounds
4 stalks celery, tops included, roughly chopped
3–4 carrots, roughly chopped
2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
1 small parsnip, roughly chopped
1 small turnip, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 point of a star anise
4 sprigs fresh dill
Matzo balls and assembly:
5 large eggs
3 Tbsp. chicken fat (schmaltz), skimmed from the soup
5½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. matzo meal
Fresh dill for garnish (optional)
Preparation
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Broth:
Step 1
Place ½ large chicken (about 2½ pounds), cut into pieces or a combination of necks, backs, wings, and other chicken parts to equal 4 pounds, 4 stalks celery, tops included, roughly chopped, 3–4 carrots, roughly chopped, 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped, 1 small parsnip, roughly chopped, 1 small turnip, peeled and chopped, 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns, and 1 point of a star anisel in an 8-quart stock pot and add about 3 qt. cold water to cover. Set over high heat and bring to a boil, skimming any froth that rises to the surface. Turn the heat down to low, set the lid ajar, and simmer 2 hours.
Step 2
Add 4 sprigs fresh dill and continue simmering an additional 45 minutes. Turn off the heat, cool to room temperature, and strain through a fine sieve. Refrigerate.
Do Ahead: Broth will taste even better if prepared 1–2 days in advance. Keep chilled and skim off any fat that coagulates on the surface; reserve fat for matzo balls.
-
Matzo balls and assembly:
Step 3
Whisk 5 large eggs, 4 Tbsp. hot chicken soup or water, 3 Tbsp. chicken fat (schmaltz), and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl to combine. Stream in ¼ cup hot broth or water, whisking constantly. Add 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. matzo meal and whisk to combine. Refrigerate, uncovered, 1 hour.
Step 4
Bring 5 qt. water to a boil over high heat. Add 4½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt to the boiling water and stir to dissolve. Remove the matzo ball mixture from the fridge. Wet your hands with cold water and gently shape about 2 Tbsp. of the mixture into a sphere by rolling it around in the palms of your wet hands. Try not to compact the ball too much. Note that the matzo balls will swell to more than double their size when cooked.
Step 5
Add the rolled matzo balls to the boiling salted water and repeat with the remaining mixture. Bring the water back to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer, tightly cover the pot, and cook for about 40 minutes until the matzo balls are floating on the surface, puffed, and snowy white.
Step 6
Meanwhile, bring strained broth to a simmer in a large pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked matzo balls to the hot broth. Keep warm until ready to serve. Ladle in to bowls and garnish with fresh dill (if using).
Editor’s note: This recipe first appeared on Epicurious in February 2017. Head this way for more of our favorite recipes for Rosh Hashanah →
The key to a superlative matzo ball soup recipe—one with an aromatic golden broth, tender matzo balls, and deep chickeny flavor throughout—is all in the fat. Rendered chicken fat (or schmaltz) appears like magic atop homemade chicken stock as it chills. Once cold, you can spoon it off and use it to infuse perfectly fluffy matzo balls with rich flavor. Use half a whole chicken, bone-in chicken breasts, or any 4-lb. array of bones and other chicken parts to make the broth. If you’re using pieces with the meat still attached, feel free to shred the chicken after cooking and add it back to the soup (or save the shredded chicken for another use).While some matzo ball recipes use seltzer or baking powder for leavening, this version just asks for a light hand (and a high ratio of eggs). To form the dumplings, dip your hands into a small bowl of cold water and ever so carefully coax the matzo ball mixture into spheres. Keeping your hands damp will prevent the mixture from sticking (it’s also a good method for shaping meatballs). Whatever you do, “don’t work too hard to shape them,” says cookbook author Mitchell Davis: “Rolling the matzo balls around for too long toughens them up.”While the broth can be made a few days ahead, matzo balls are best on the day they’re made, but you can prepare them an hour or so in advance. Transfer the cooked matzo balls to a baking sheet coated with vegetable oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. When ready to serve, bring the broth back to a simmer, drop in the matzo balls to warm them, ladle into bowls, and serve.This recipe has been adapted for style from ‘Kitchen Sense’ by Mitchell Davis. Buy the full book on Amazon.IngredientsBroth:½ large chicken (about 2½ pounds), cut into pieces, or a combination of necks, backs, wings, and other chicken parts to equal 4 pounds4 stalks celery, tops included, roughly chopped3–4 carrots, roughly chopped2 yellow onions, roughly chopped1 small parsnip, roughly chopped1 small turnip, peeled and chopped1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt1 tsp. whole black peppercorns1 point of a star anise4 sprigs fresh dillMatzo balls and assembly:5 large eggs3 Tbsp. chicken fat (schmaltz), skimmed from the soup5½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. matzo mealFresh dill for garnish (optional)PreparationBroth:Step 1Place ½ large chicken (about 2½ pounds), cut into pieces or a combination of necks, backs, wings, and other chicken parts to equal 4 pounds, 4 stalks celery, tops included, roughly chopped, 3–4 carrots, roughly chopped, 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped, 1 small parsnip, roughly chopped, 1 small turnip, peeled and chopped, 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns, and 1 point of a star anisel in an 8-quart stock pot and add about 3 qt. cold water to cover. Set over high heat and bring to a boil, skimming any froth that rises to the surface. Turn the heat down to low, set the lid ajar, and simmer 2 hours.Step 2Add 4 sprigs fresh dill and continue simmering an additional 45 minutes. Turn off the heat, cool to room temperature, and strain through a fine sieve. Refrigerate.Do Ahead: Broth will taste even better if prepared 1–2 days in advance. Keep chilled and skim off any fat that coagulates on the surface; reserve fat for matzo balls.Matzo balls and assembly:Step 3Whisk 5 large eggs, 4 Tbsp. hot chicken soup or water, 3 Tbsp. chicken fat (schmaltz), and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl to combine. Stream in ¼ cup hot broth or water, whisking constantly. Add 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. matzo meal and whisk to combine. Refrigerate, uncovered, 1 hour.Step 4Bring 5 qt. water to a boil over high heat. Add 4½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt to the boiling water and stir to dissolve. Remove the matzo ball mixture from the fridge. Wet your hands with cold water and gently shape about 2 Tbsp. of the mixture into a sphere by rolling it around in the palms of your wet hands. Try not to compact the ball too much. Note that the matzo balls will swell to more than double their size when cooked.Step 5Add the rolled matzo balls to the boiling salted water and repeat with the remaining mixture. Bring the water back to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer, tightly cover the pot, and cook for about 40 minutes until the matzo balls are floating on the surface, puffed, and snowy white.Step 6Meanwhile, bring strained broth to a simmer in a large pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked matzo balls to the hot broth. Keep warm until ready to serve. Ladle in to bowls and garnish with fresh dill (if using). Editor’s note: This recipe first appeared on Epicurious in February 2017. Head this way for more of our favorite recipes for Rosh Hashanah →
Matzo Ball Soup
