'Make-do' Matzo Ball Soup

‘Make-do’ Matzo Ball Soup

During these times of Covid-19 and wanting to eliminate grocery shopping when only needing one or two things and even then, often finding empty shelves of certain staples I decided to make this recipe based on what I had available in my pantry and was really impressed at how well it turned out. This is an easy recipe that is filling and tasty at the best of times but when you don’t have all of the traditional ingredients on hand (such as Matzo meal) you ‘make do’!! This is a great substitute and these ‘floater style’ Matzo balls won’t disappoint.

INGREDIENTS:

-        1 cup of bread crumbs (preferably plain but use whatever you have)

-        1 tsp of baking powder

-        ¼ tsp of garlic powder

-        ¼ tsp of onion powder

-        2 tbsp of fresh parsley (finely chopped)

-        *for additional flavour you can add other fresh herbs of your choosing such as Dill or Tarragon or Cilantro etc)

-        Pinch of salt/pepper

-        3 eggs

-        3 tbsp of Olive Oil (Veg oil or even Coconut Oil is ok too)

-        3-4 quarts (12-16 cups) Chicken stock

METHOD:

Add bread crumbs, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder and fresh parsley (and other fresh herbs if using) to a small/med sized mixing bowl and combine until well blended.

In a separate bowl – beat eggs, Olive Oil, salt and pepper.

Pour egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. DO NOT OVER MIX – this will make your matzo balls heavy and dense. Consistency at this point should still have some liquidity (that will change as it rests in the fridge and the breadcrumbs start to absorb the liquid) so having the appearance of thick(ish) pancake batter is what you are aiming for at this point. If too watery add a spoonful of bread crumbs at a time until right.

Cover with plastic wrap and place bowl with matzo ball mixture in the fridge to let rest for approx. 30min.

While Matzo balls mixture is resting – in a 4-6 quart pot add chicken stock, cover and on med/high heat bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cover with lid until ready to add Matzo balls.

Remove rested Matzo ball mixture from fridge – using slightly damp hands form approx. 1-1 ½ inch balls by rolling lightly between your palms. You want the balls to come together gently and pressure is not needed. Once ball is formed, place on cutting board (or plate) and continue with the rest of the mixture until all balls are formed (you should get approx. 12-15 balls).

Gently place the Matzo balls into the simmering Chicken Stock. Cover with lid and let the matzo balls cook for 30min undisturbed.

After 30mins has passed, remove lid. The Matzo balls will have expanded slightly but still maintain their round shape and will be floating on the top of the stock.

Serve approx. 3 Matzo balls with a good ladle (or two) of hot Chicken Stock. Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!

Serves approx. 3-4 people

*If you are not going to serve the entire pot of soup in one sitting make sure you remove the remaining Matzo balls from the soup and let cool. Store soup and Matzo balls in separate containers in the fridge. If the Matzo balls are stored with the soup they will become mushy. When ready to re-heat, allow Matzo balls to come to room temperature. Heat soup on the stove or in the microwave. Add Matzo balls to hot soup, garnish with fresh parsley and serve. It will taste just as good as it did when first made!