Matzo Ball Soup

By Marilyn Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

I discovered early on the comfort of eating a steaming bowl of soup on a cold day. The soups of my youth were tomato and chicken noodle, but my favorite was chicken and dumplings.

After all these years, I still love them all but southern specialties aren’t easy to find in Los Angeles. The chicken and dumplings of my youth has been replaced by matzo ball soup when I long for comfort food. You adapt to your surroundings and living in Los Angeles makes it easy to find this soup on any given day in one of our many delis.

I like to tell my boys, “The greatest enemy of change is routine.” So, break your routine, try something new. Matzo ball soup might just become your new favorite. It’s my boys’ favorite too.

To get the recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

Matzo Ball Soup

Here’s an easy version of homemade matzo ball soup using store-bought chicken stock. Chopped fresh parsley adds a mild herb flavor and a pretty green garnish.

3 eggs
6 tablespoons cold water
2-1/2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat or vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1-1/2 cups matzo meal
3 pints chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

In a large bowl, combine the eggs and water. Add the chicken fat or shortening, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Stir in the matzo meal until just combined. Form the mixture into loose balls of about a tablespoon each. Do not overmix or pack them too tightly, or they will become heavy and tough.

Boil a large pot of water and gently place the matzo balls in the water. Turn the heat down to simmer, cover, and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the matzo balls look light and fluffy (they’ll almost double in size).

Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Place a matzo ball or two into each of 4 bowls, ladle in the hot stock, and sprinkle with the parsley.

Makes 4 or more servings

Special Fork is a recipe website for your smartphone and PC that solves the daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now! Our bloggers blog Monday through Friday to give you cooking inspiration. Check out our recipe database for quick ideas that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.