Classic Matzo Ball Soup (Jewish Penicillin)

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The only matzo ball soup recipe you’ll ever need, each bowl is brimming with deep chicken flavor and light, fluffy matzo balls.

I am so excited to share my Aunt Patsy’s famous Matzo Ball Soup recipe! While every Passover my family gets together for an enjoyable seder, I can’t say we aren’t distracted by the thoughts of dinner. What can I say, we’re a family that loves food! Matzo ball soup…the pièce de résistance! Light, fluffy matzo balls floating in rich, velvety, almost silky chicken stock. There’s a reason they call it Jewish penicillin – this soup cures all, and doesn’t have to be eaten just at Passover.

Ingredients

Chicken stock: I like to make homemade, its super easy and you can make it in bulk and store it for later. But store bought chicken stock will also work nicely!
Matzo ball mix: My go to is Manischewitz, but your local grocery store might carry a different brand.
Eggs: Used as a binder for the matzo balls.
Chicken fat: Also known as schmaltz, it’s a common ingredient in Jewish cooking and adds rich, delicious flavor.

How To Make Matzo Ball Soup

Start your matzo ball soup by making your chicken stock. You can also use store bought, but making it from scratch adds an extra punch of flavor.

In a large stock pot, add your cut carrots and celery.

Then add a whole chicken, and cover with water.

And add the cut onion and garlic.

Then add fresh parsley and thyme sprigs to the pot.

Pour in the chicken base.

And finish with some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about an hour, or until the chicken is fully cooked.

Refrigerate so the fat all gathers at the top and you can easily skim it off. Then reheat and strain into another large pot so you’re left with just the broth. You can keep the chicken to add back into the soup or shred it to use in other dishes.

To make the matzo balls, crack your eggs into a medium sized bowl and whisk them together.

Then add the oil or schmaltz.

Then add the matzo ball mix.

Mix together until ingredients combine to make a dough.

Once dough is formed, use a tablespoon and your hands to form little dough balls.

Add the balls one by one to the hot pot, leaving plenty of room for the balls to expand.

Let cook until the matzo balls have doubled in size.

Ladle some hot chicken broth into your bowls, and add a couple matzo balls to each. Serve garnished with chives or parsley, maybe adding some shredded chicken, and enjoy your Matzo Ball Soup!

Frequently asked questions:

Where can I find chicken fat (schmaltz)?

You can find it at most butcher shops or at your grocery store’s butcher counter. Alternatively, you can make it yourself by roasting chicken skin in the oven until crispy and saving the reserved fat (schmaltz.)

What is the significance of matzo ball soup?

In the Passover meal, matzo represents the unleavened bread that the Jewish people ate while fleeing Egypt.

How do you store leftover matzo ball soup?

Keeping the matzo balls and chicken stock separate, store them in the fridge in air-tight containers for 4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave when ready to eat it again.

More Family Recipes

Passover Recipes

Eat It, Like It, Share It!

Did you try this soup? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your meal.

Whether you’re celebrating Passover or simply can’t resist a comforting bowl of matzo ball soup, I urge you to try my family recipe. Let me know how it goes in a comment below!

Your spoon is waiting.