Matzo Ball Soup!
Many holidays hold food memories for us. That cookie you have to have at Christmas, turkey for Thanksgiving, or the once a year ham recipe for Easter. Each family is different and each culture has their own reflections. Celebrating tradition through food is something special passed down through generations. It is that tradition that makes me really enjoy Passover Seder. Over the years, friends have invited me to their houses to celebrate with their families and I have found it such a beautiful event. I love that Passover celebrates a sacred moment of time through food. By eating certain dishes you are asked to reflect on the history, on your ancestors, on the spirituality of life. My favorite Passover dish has to be Matzo Ball Soup. This year, while I did not join any of my friends and their families, I did decide to attempt to make the classic soup as a sign of respect and love to those friends.
Matzo Ball Soup:
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 skinless chicken thighs
chicken stock
salt and pepper
bay leaf
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/4 c parsley, chopped
In a pot, saute carrots, onion, and celery. Once onion is translucent, remove vegetables from the pot. Add a little more oil to the pot and brown two skinless chicken thighs. Once the chicken thighs are brown on both sides add the vegetables back, chicken stock, salt, pepper, a bay leaf, and about red pepper flakes. Let simmer for 1 hour then add parsley. Let simmer for another 1/2 hour then add the matzo balls.
Matzo balls:
4 large eggs
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c sparkling water
1 c matzo meal
Beat eggs, olive oil, sparkling water, salt and pepper. Then add matzo meal and stir until combined. Refrigerate for a half hour. Bring soup to a boil. Wet your hands and roll the matzo mixture into 1 inch balls drop the balls into the boiling soup. Once all balls are added, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes then serve topped with a bit of chopped parsley. Enjoy!
2 Responses to “Matzo Ball Soup!”
I’d like to try this soon! Thanks for the inspiration.
You are more than welcome. Please let me know what you think when you try it!