Easy Matzo Ball Recipes

CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic and seasonings in a 16- to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remove 2 of the chickens and allow to cool slightly. Remove the breast meat from both chickens and set aside. Return the remaining chicken and carcasses to the pot and continue simmering, uncovered, for 3 more hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and chill. Remove the surface fat, then reheat the stock as follows, or pack in containers and freeze.
• To serve the soup, return the stock to the pot and reheat, adding the diced carrots, celery, dill and parsley. Shred the reserved chicken breast meat into large pieces and add to the stock. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes to cook the vegetables and reheat the chicken. Season to taste and serve as is, or ladle each serving over 1 or 2 warm matzo balls.
• Whisk together the egg yolks, 1/2 cup chicken stock, chicken fat, parsley and salt. Stir in the matzo meal. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are stiff. Whisk them into the matzo mixture until it is smooth. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.
• Bring a pot of chicken stock to a simmer (about 3 quarts). Form matzo balls the size of golf balls by shaping them with 2 spoons, rolling them with your hands or scooping them with a small ice cream scoop. Drop them into the simmering stock and cook for 30 minutes, or until fully cooked and puffed, turning once. Remove and serve hot in the chicken soup.

CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• Place the chicken, onions, turnips, carrots and celery in a large 12-quart stock pot and add enough water to fill the pan almost to the top, 6-8 quarts. Bring to boil. Let the soup boil gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes, skimming off any froth or scum as it forms. Reduce the heat to low and add the bay leaves, parsley sprigs, celery seed, 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon white pepper. Cover and simmer 3½ hours more. (Note: if you want to use the chicken in the finished soup or for another purpose, remove the chicken from the soup after 90 minutes, pull the meat off the bone and return the carcass to the pot.) Let the soup cool on the stovetop until the pot is no longer hot; then place the soup pot in the refrigerator overnight.
• The next day, remove the pot from the refrigerator and skim most -- but not all -- of the fat from the surface of the soup. Using tongs, remove the chicken from the soup and discard. Place a colander over a large bowl or pot, and pour the soup through the colander to strain out all the vegetables. Discard the vegetables (they will be too mushy to serve with the soup). Place a fine mesh strainer over a smaller soup pot and strain the soup again to be sure the broth is clear. Discard the remaining solids. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.
• Follow the instructions on the package to combine the oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the package ingredients and let sit for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Wet your hands and gently roll the mixture into golf ball-sized balls (do not compact!). Drop the matzo balls into the boiling water. Bring back to a boil, then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 30 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the matzo balls to a large plate or tupperware container. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Note: if you're making the matzo balls at the last minute, you can transfer them right from the boiling water into the chicken soup.)
• Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the chicken bouillon powder, along with more salt and pepper to taste. (The amount of seasoning you add will depend on your personal preference and on how much water you used. I like a well-seasoned soup, so I add about 2 tablespoons of bouillon powder, 2 teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper -- just add the seasoning gradually, tasting as you go, until the soup tastes flavorful.)
• Add the carrots and cooked matzo balls and simmer until the carrots are cooked and the matzo balls are hot throughout -- both are ready when they float to the surface. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley or dill.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup and the matzo balls can be frozen separately for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup and the matzo balls in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once the soup is hot, add the matzo balls and simmer until the matzo balls are soft in the center and heated through.
• Note: The nutritional information is calculated assuming the meat from the chicken and 2 teaspoons of salt were used.

QUICK & EASY MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients until well blended; cover. Refrigerate 30 min.
• Shape evenly into 18 balls, each about 1 inch in diameter, using moistened hands. Add to large pot of boiling salted water; cover.
• Cook 30 min. or until matzo balls are cooked through; drain.

FLOATER MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the matzo meal, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper.
• In another small mixing bowl, use another fork to mix together the eggs and schmaltz (or oil), stirring briskly to make sure they are well blended.
• Pour egg mixture into the dry ingredients, and add the minced dill or parsley. Mix all ingredients together with a fork until just combined. Do not over-mix.Put the bowl of matzo ball mixture into the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Bring your 5 quarts of chicken stock (or saffron water stock outlined in Notes section) to a boil over medium heat.While your broth or water is warming, form the chilled matzo ball mixture into 1-inch balls (roughly walnut-sized). Don't overwork the mixture when you roll the balls.
• When your broth or water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and drop the matzo balls gently into the liquid.
• Cover the pot with a lid and let the balls cook for 30-50 minutes until fluffy and soft. Keep the pot covered-- no peeking until at least 30 minutes have gone by! If you've followed instructions carefully, the balls should be floating on the surface of the water like billowy clouds of deliciousness. If they still seem dense or tight, they haven't cooked long enough. The should look soft and airy.
• Test for doneness by slicing a test matzo ball in half. It should look the same all the way through the center - tender, with no dark spot in the middle. If the middle is darker than the edges, it will need to simmer a little longer - it's not quite cooked yet. Don't be afraid to cook longer if it seems dense in the center, as it really won't be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center.
• If you're not using baking powder, you may wan to use avocado or safflower oil instead of schmaltz. I've noticed these oils tend to render a fluffier result, though they are not as flavorful as schmaltz. Separate the egg whites from the yolks, putting the whites in one of the medium mixing bowls and the yolks in the small mixing bowl. Use a fork to stir together the egg yolks and oil, stirring briskly to make sure they are well blended. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of seltzer.
• In the second medium mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together the matzo meal, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper.
• Pour egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients, and add the minced dill or parsley. Mix with a fork until just combined. Do not over-mix.
• Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer to stiff peaks.
• Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter. Do not over-mix; you want the egg whites well integrated, but over-mixing will deflate them.Put the bowl of matzo ball mixture into the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Bring your 5 quarts of chicken stock (or saffron water stock outlined in Notes section) to a boil over medium heat.While your broth or water is warming, form the chilled matzo ball mixture into 1-inch balls (roughly walnut-sized). Don't overwork the mixture when you roll the balls.
• When your broth or water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and drop the matzo balls gently into the liquid.
• Cover the pot with a lid and let the balls cook for 30-50 minutes until fluffy and soft. Keep the pot covered-- no peeking until at least 30 minutes have gone by! If you've followed instructions carefully, the balls should be floating on the surface of the water like billowy clouds of deliciousness. If they seem dense, they need to cook longer.
• Test for doneness by slicing a test matzo ball in half. It should look the same all the way through the center - tender, with no dark spot in the middle. If the middle is darker than the edges, it will need to simmer a little longer - it's not quite cooked yet. If you formed your balls any larger than the recommended size, you may need 10-15 minutes (or longer) than the suggested cooking time. 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. If you don't plan on serving the whole pot of soup at one sitting, make sure you remove the matzo balls from the broth and let them come to room temperature before storing them in a separate sealed container kin the refrigerator. If left to sit in the broth, they'll become mushy.
• Once your matzo balls are fully cooked, line a baking sheet with wax paper or plastic wrap. Use a slotted spoon to remove the matzo balls from their cooking liquid and place them gently on the lined sheet. Let cool to room temperature.
• Place the matzo balls in the freezer and let them freeze until they are firm to the touch, around 2 hours or so. Once they are firm, you can place the matzo balls into a freezer bag (I use reusable silicone freezer bags).
• Label them with a label maker, if you want, so it will be easier to remember what you have on hand in future. They can be thawed and reheated directly in hot soup (or a pot of soup stock) just before serving.
• Additional Notes: You can cook matzo balls directly in your soup broth (which will give them excellent flavor), but it will soak up a lot of the yummy stock, leaving you with very little broth for serving.

MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• Whisk together the egg yolks, chicken stock, chicken fat, parsley, and salt. Stir in the matzo meal. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are stiff. Whisk them into the matzo mixture until it is smooth. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.
• Form balls the size of golf balls by shaping them with 2 spoons, rolling them with your hands, or scooping them with a small ice cream scoop. Drop them into simmering chicken stock and cook for 30 minutes, or until fully cooked and puffed, turning once. Remove and serve hot in chicken soup.

MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the margarine and eggs until well blended. Combine the matzo meal and salt; lightly stir into the egg mixture until the liquid is absorbed, and the meal is damp. Gradually mix in the water so that the mixture holds together, but is not too wet. Cover and refrigerate while bringing the water to a boil.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. When the water is at a full boil, remove the matzo mixture from the refrigerator. Using wet hands, shape spoonfuls of the dough into balls. Do not pack the balls together too tightly.
• Drop balls into the boiling water, and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from water and serve in soup or cold milk. Do not let the matzo balls sit out too long, or they will harden.