How to Make Matzoh Ball Soup

Simple to make and satisfying to eat, matzoh ball soup is a favorite at Jewish celebrations. This recipe yields 16 matzoh balls and 5 to 6 quarts of chicken soup. Serves 8 to 10.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Dills
• Ground Peppers
• Salt
• 4 large onions - halved
• 6 tbsp. schmaltz (chicken fat)
• 1 c. matzoh meal
• 1/2 cup seltzer
• 10 crushed peppercorns
• 15 parsleys sprigs
• 5-6 quarts water
• 4 eggs
• 2 6-8 lb. stewing hens (without the liver)
• 6 carrots - peeled and cut into chunks

Matzoh Balls

1. Beat the eggs slightly to combine whites and yolks.
2. Stir in the seltzer, salt, pepper and schmaltz.
3. Add the matzoh meal gradually, stirring until ingredients are completely combined.
4. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
5. Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil.
6. Moisten your palms and make balls using about 2 tbsp. batter for each.
7. Cook matzoh balls covered in the pot for 1/2 hour.
8. Serve one or two matzoh balls in each bowl of chicken soup.

Chicken Soup

9. Remove the fat from cavities of hens.
10. Place one hen and 1/2 of the vegetables in a large stockpot with enough water to barely cover. Bring to a boil and lower heat immediately.
11. Skim the foam from the surface of the water and make sure that heat is low enough that only a few bubbles appear.
12. Add the peppercorns and parsley and simmer for two hours partially covered.
13. Skim foam occasionally. The meat should be tender, but should not fall apart easily.
14. Remove hen from water and place on a large platter.
15. When cool enough, remove meat from the bones and return the meat, skin and bones to the soup.
16. Simmer partly covered for another hour.
17. Strain the soup through a colander and discard everything but the resulting broth.
18. Allow soup to cool, then refrigerate overnight.
19. Remove the hardened fat from the surface of the refrigerated broth and put broth in stockpot with the remaining hen and vegetables.
20. Add more water if necessary to cover.
21. Repeat steps 11 through 14, adding dill to the pot instead of peppercorn and parsley.
22. Strain the broth and serve with 1-2 matzo balls for each bowl of soup.