Matzo Ball Soup

Since our NYC trip (and the subsequent deli meals) last fall, I have been craving Matzo Ball Soup. Unfortunately, my favorite grocery store does not have a Kosher section, so I couldn't get any matzo meal. There are areas of town with Kosher markets, but I try to avoid traffic if at all possible, so I just had to fantasize about some soup.

Until Friday, that is. While grocery shopping, I noticed an end cap full of Kosher products for Passover. Naturally, there was my matzo meal I'd been dreaming about.

I used the Betty Crocker app on my phone (a lifesaver sometimes, if you haven't seen it before!) to find a base recipe. I say "base recipe" because I made a few changes to it - like I always do. I followed the instructions, but changed up some ingredients here and there.

I didn't have any parsley, so I interchanged with 2 teaspoons of McCormick Italian seasoning (marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil). I used baby carrots, that I sliced up julienne.

For the 1" matzo balls, I just scooped up the mixture with a small spoon, and rolled them into balls between my palms. Some of mine were slightly smaller than 1" so I ended up with more than 15 matzo balls the recipe indicates. That's okay, because they will expand once cooked anyway.

For the broth, I didn't use onions (the hubs hates onions, and I don't care for them in soup, but I like the flavor), I used about 2 teaspoons of onion powder. I also added a few ingredients to liven up the taste of the broth. Add several dashes of fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. About a teaspoon of garlic powder or garlic salt adds some zest. After you add these seasonings, stir well, and then taste to make sure it's up to snuff.

Also, as a tip, scoop the matzo balls up with a ladle or pasta spoon and lower them into the broth slowly to prevent splashing.

It was so, so, so yummy! Great for a rainy, stormy weekend. It will also reheat well for leftovers later in the week.

By the way, I have no idea if the changes I made keep this recipe Kosher, so if that's of concern, you may need to make your own alterations.

Here is the original recipe and ingredients, and you can find the full recipe on the Betty Crocker site by clicking here.

 

Matzo Balls

2

eggs, beaten

2

tablespoons vegetable oil

2

teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4

teaspoon salt

Dash ginger

1/2

cup matzo meal

2

tablespoons water

Soup

6

cups Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons)

1/2

cup thinly sliced carrots

1/4

cup thinly sliced celery

2

green onions, sliced

12

In small bowl, stir eggs, oil, parsley, salt and ginger until blended. With hand mixer, beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add matzo meal and water; stir until smooth. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat all soup ingredients to boiling over medium-high heat. Lightly form matzo ball mixture into 15 (1-inch) balls. Drop matzo balls into boiling soup. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and simmer 25 to 30 minutes or matzo balls are thoroughly cooked.