Matzo or matzah? However you may pronounce “matzo”, this Matzo Ball Soup Recipe For Two with a from-scratch chicken broth and fluffy matzo balls -- is the ultimate comfort food! While, it is a welcomed Passover dish, one spoonful will have you penciling it into your regular supper repertoire.
This recipe comes from my friend Pam Ottenstein, who, learned how to make matzo ball soup from her 95 year-old mother Joan Noun – and it is a “keeper”. Traditionally served as part of the Passover seder, Pam’s recipe includes a “no-fuss” dump everything into a pot and forget it broth and a Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix. Yep a mix that is easy, delicious and foolproof!
Often referred to as “Jewish penicillin” because it just makes people feel better when they’re under the weather or just wanting some soul-warming food – anytime of the year.
This recipe freezes so well, I suggest doubling the recipe and freezing some for later. It will put a smile on your face when you are searching the freezer for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
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What is Matzo Ball Soup?
Matzo ball soup is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish. It’s chicken soup with delicious dumplings made from a mixture of matzah meal, beaten eggs, water, and a fat, such as butter and oil.
What you need to make Matzo Ball Soup
.
- yellow or white onion
- celery
- chicken breast or thighs – use skin on bone-in to make a full-flavored chicken stock.
- salt and pepper
- onion powder
- bullion or stock Cubes – use a kosher chicken flavor stock cube for a lighter and cleaner broth like Telma Stock Cubes found in the kosher aisle of your local grocery store. I have used Better than Bullion, but it brings a more roasted chicken flavor rather than the light and clean flavor of Telma Stock cubes, associated with a traditional matzo ball soup.
- carrots – you can peel and cut carrots into coins or use a bag of baby carrots.
- parsley
For the Matzo Balls:
- Manischewitz or Streitz Matzo Mix – located in the kosher aisle of your local grocery store. Both mixes make a light, fluffy yet dense matzo ball that is foolproof and easy!
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
See recipe card for ingredient quantities and measurements.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make the broth.
Combine the onions and celery in a stock pot. Make sure you have enough water to cover most of the vegetables, about 6 quarts. Bring the stock to a boil.
Add the chicken, bring back to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer for about 1 hour. Skim off any froth or film from the top.
Add salt, pepper, bouillon cube and onion powder. Cover and adjust heat to maintain a low simmer for about 40 minutes.
Step 2: Make the matzo balls
In a bowl blend eggs and vegetable oil, then add contents of one packet of matzo mix (unless doubling the recipe) and stir with a fork until evenly mixed. Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, bring 10 cups of water in a second large pot to a brisk boil. Don’t forget to salt the water – this will bring out the flavor in the matzo meal without tasting too salty.
With wet hands, gently roll the mixture into balls approximately 1 inch in diameter (size of a golf ball). Do not press too hard, we don’t want compact matzo balls.
Carefully drop the matzo balls into boiling water. Bring water back to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a tight-fitting lid for 20 minutes. The reason we are cooking the matzo balls separately is to keep the broth from turning cloudy and the balls soaking up too much of the liquid stock.
Finishing touches
While the matzo balls are cooking,remove chicken from the pot, and reserve for another use. This is the fussiest part of the recipe – you are going to need a lot of seasoning. Taste. Adjust.Taste.
Too bland? Add another stock cube and ½ teaspoon of salt at a time. Taste again. Keep adjusting seasoning as needed.
Now, carefully drop the carrots into the simmering broth, cook until carrots are fork-tender.
Remove the matzo balls from the pot and carefully drop them into the soup stock, simmer until heated thoroughly. When the carrots are tender and begin to float it is ready to serve! Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley
Quick Tips
Cook matzo balls in a separate pot. The reason we do not cook the matzo balls in the soup stock is because the matzo meal turns the stock cloudy and the matzo balls will soak up too much stock, leaving very little broth to ladle into the bowl when serving.
Save leftover chicken meat from stock. Using the chicken meat from the stock makes planning another meal later in the week a breeze.
Try one of Our Table 4 2’s chicken recipes like Chicken broccoli pasta casserole, pesto chicken salad, Chicken salad with pasta and dried cherries or add chicken to a simple salad with our favorite shallot vinaigrette for quick and tasty weeknight meals using the leftover chicken meat.
Cooking for two? Storing and freezing tips
Make ahead and freeze. Either freeze the stock and matzo balls together in a freezer bag for up to three months or freeze the stock and matzo balls separately (so they don’t get mushy). Alternately, you can store matzo ball soup in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing leftover matzo balls. Arrange on parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet and freeze until hard. Then place the matzo balls in a plastic bag, or container. This makes it easy to pull out the number of matzo balls desired per serving.
To reheat gently drop the matzo balls into the simmering chicken stock over high heat. If you plan to freeze leftovers you will want to remove the amount of stock you want to freeze after you remove the chicken and before you add the carrots and matzo balls.
Freezing chicken stock. After simmering the chicken, onion and celery for 1-hour. Let the stock cool, then ladle into a freezer container with a tight fitting lid, leaving about an inch of space between the soup and the container’s lid. That is enough expansion room for the stock when freezing.
To reheat, defrost the stock during the day in the refrigerator, empty into a saucepan and warm gently over low stove heat until begins to simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning. Too bland? Add stock cube and some salt. Now add the carrots and the frozen matzo balls.
FAQ
Yes, some do shred the chicken stock meat and add it back to the soup.
Once the chicken from the stock is cool enough to handle, shred the meat from the bones using your hands and reserve for another use. The breast meat, is best when diced with a knife to make equal 1-inch pieces.
Yes. The reason we boil the matzo balls in a separate pot of water is to keep the broth clear and avoid the matzo balls soaking up too much of the broth resulting in needing to add more water and fuss with the adjusting of the seasoning such as adding more stock cubes and salt.
Yes. You can freeze matzo ball soup. Let the soup cool, then ladle into a freezer container with a tight fitting lid, leaving about an inch of space between the soup and the container’s lid. That is enough expansion room for the stock when freezing.
More soup and stew recipes for two
Looking for other soups and stews recipes for two? Try these:
Pairings
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Matzo Ball Soup:
Easy Matzo Ball Soup Recipe For Two
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Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 celery sticks with greens roughly chopped into 2 inch lengths
- 1 chicken breast or 2 thighs, skin-on, bone-in
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 stock cube – plus more to adjust seasoning. Telma Stock Cubes found in the kosher aisle of your local grocery store.
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (or substitute baby carrots) –
- parsley , for garnish
For the Matzo Balls:
- 1 packet of Manischewitz or Streitz Matzo Mix – located in the kosher aisle of your local grocery store. This makes about 9 matzo balls
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
Make the Broth.
- Combine the water, onions and celery in a stock pot. Make sure you have enough water to cover most of the vegetables and fill the pot, about 6 quarts. Bring the stock to a boil. Add the chicken, bring back to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer for about 1 hour. Skim off any froth or film from the top.
- Add salt, pepper, stock cube and onion powder. Cover and adjust heat to maintain a low simmer for about 40 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the stock. Now, this is the fussiest part of the recipe – you are going to need a lot of seasoning. Taste and Adjust seasonings. Too bland? add another stock cube and ½ teaspoon of salt at a time. Taste. Adjust as needed. Keep warm.
Make the Matzo Balls
- In a bowl blend eggs, vegetable oil, then add contents of one packet and stir with a fork until evenly mixed. Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, bring 10 cups of salted water in a second large pot to a brisk boil. With wet hands, gently roll the mixture into balls approximately 1 inch in diameter (size of a golf ball). Carefully drop matzo balls into boiling water. Bring water back to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook matzo balls until heated through and begin to float, about 20-minutes
Finishing Touches
- While the matzo balls are cooking, add the carrots to the simmering chicken broth, cooking until fork tender.
- Remove cooked matzo balls from pot and carefully drop into simmering chicken broth. Simmer until matzo balls are warm. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Video
Notes
Your Notes, Tips and Tricks
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
SR says
Great!
sr
SR says
gave some to our friend