Matzo Ball Soup • CLASSIC RECIPE! (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep matzo balls from falling apart? ›

The matzo tends to disintegrate once it has been in too long. To keep them from water-logging, the matzo balls are simmered for 30–40 minutes and then removed from the broth and held in a warming oven, then set in the bowl just before serving.

Once all of the matzo balls are in the boiling water, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove 1 matzo ball with a slotted spoon. Cut in half to check for doneness. The matzo ball is done when the inside is not dark or wet.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, schmaltz, stock, matzo meal, nutmeg, ginger and parsley. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Gently mix with a whisk or spoon. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours or overnight.

Turns out, baking powder is key to creating the fluffiest, lightest “floater” matzo balls. Using carbonated water or seltzer in combination with whipped egg whites will help get you fluffy floaters. But baking powder makes the biggest difference.

We give you the choice: Using schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) produces the most flavorful matzo balls, while vegetable or canola oil offer convenience. Optional seltzer helps to aerate the matzo balls so that they're light and tender, while optional baking powder allows you to make insanely light and fluffy ones.

There are two camps of people, those who like their matzo balls to float “floater” and those who prefer them to sink, “sinkers.” If you prefer dense matzo balls, they will sink in the soup and have a rich, toothsome quality, whereas floater will be airy, soft and fluffy.

Whether you prefer a light and fluffy matzo ball or a chewier and denser one, there is a recipe out there for you to try. One thing is for sure though, every matzo ball floats right out of the pot, then sinks. Even the dense and chewy version sunk after soaking in broth overnight.

Note that they'll “look done” after about 10 minutes, however it really does take around 45 minutes to cook all the way to the center of the ball. If you cut one open and the center looks yellow and grainy, like the batter, it's not done yet. You can't overcook a matzo ball.

The answer to why some matzah balls come out like rubber balls instead of fluffy clouds, is the addition of water to the batter. It doesn't matter if you add flat water or seltzer to the mix, just don't do it.

Add to that the benefits of vitamins A, C, and D in the broth, the anti-inflammatory properties of the soup vegetables, and a boost of energy from the carbohydrates in the matzo balls, and you've got a recipe for feeling better!

What is a substitute for schmaltz in matzo balls? ›

To make matzo balls, you also need fat. Rendered chicken fat, called schmaltz, is traditional, but you could substitute oil or butter (though butter conflicts with kosher dietary restrictions prohibiting combining meat with dairy).

German, Austrian, and Alsatian Jews were the first to prepare matzo balls for their soup; middle eastern Jews introduced additional variations. An early recipe for matzoh ball soup, made with beef stock, is found in The Jewish manual, or, Practical information in Jewish and modern cookery (1846).

The fluffier they are, the more the cooking water will penetrate and wash out any soup used in making them (as well as salt and spices). But even with the firm kind, the difference is almost negligible, so I've switched to water. The fat is another ingredient of controversy.

Store the mixture, covered, in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight.

It comes from the ratio of eggs to matzah meal and the amount of air whipped into the eggs. Too much oil added to the mix will make them sink, as will removing the cover while they cook.

Molly says it's incredibly important that your matzo balls cook at a simmer, because a roiling boil will be too harsh and could cause them to disintegrate. And if you've already gone through all this trouble, you definitely don't want that.

Cooked matzo balls may be stored in the refrigerator, covered in water, up to 3 days.

Note that they'll “look done” after about 10 minutes, however it really does take around 45 minutes to cook all the way to the center of the ball. If you cut one open and the center looks yellow and grainy, like the batter, it's not done yet. You can't overcook a matzo ball. It's not possible.