Matzo Ball Soup
One of my favorite memories of my adulthood is a time when my grandfather was in the hospital following knee surgery and he had to spend Hannukah in a hospital bed recuperating. He couldn't bring himself to Hannukah, so I brought Hannukah to him. For the first time in my life, I made Hannukah dishes on my own, one of them being my grandfather's favorite, matzo ball soup. He was impressed with my very first attempt at making it, and I promised I would make it again for him. After all, he always made it for me.
Matzo balls themselves don't carry much flavor; they taste pretty plain to me. It's the seasoning that is added to the soup broth that is absorbed by the matzo balls and gives them flavor. Matzo ball soup is my go-to when I want something simple and warm and without all the spice!
Matzo Ball Soup
Ingredients:
Soup
1 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
2 cloves garlic
1 yellow onion
3 carrots
3 stalks celery
1 chicken breast (about 3/4 lb.)
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
Freshly cracked pepper
Few sprigs fresh dill
Matzo Balls
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup matzo meal
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Freshly cracked pepper
3 Tbsp water
Directions:
1. Mince the garlic and dice the onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots with the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent (about five minutes).
2. Add the chicken breast, chicken broth, 2 cups water, some freshly cracked pepper, and one or two sprigs of dill to the pot. Place a lid on the pot and let it come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
3. While the soup is simmering, mix the matzo ball dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and vegetable oil. Add the matzo meal, salt, baking powder, and a little freshly cracked pepper to the eggs and oil. Stir until well combined. Add 3 Tbsp water and stir until smooth again. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to allow the matzo meal time to absorb the moisture.
4. After the chicken soup has simmered, carefully remove the chicken breast and shred it with a fork. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.
5. Once the matzo ball mix has refrigerated and stiffened up, begin to form it into ping pong sized balls. Drop the balls into the simmering soup as they are formed, returning the lid to the pot after each one. Once all the matzo balls are in the soup, let them simmer for 20 minutes without removing the lid. Make sure the soup is gently simmering the entire time.
6. Add sprigs of fresh dill just before serving.
Makes 5 servings
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