A Recipe for Avi: Mom’s Matzoh Ball Soup

I have written this post for my son Avi.

Avi (14-1/2 years old, freshman in high school) really likes to cook! It’s one way he can be super creative in both an artistic way and a sciencey way! He asked me to give him my recipe for matzoh ball soup – so he could use it as a basis for a science project for his physics class in school… so here it is…

First I start with the recipe on the Manischewitz matzoh meal box (the round cardboard carton) – but then I modify it…(I also try to use all organic ingredients  whenever possible.)

Ingredients:

1. Matzo Meal 
2. Vegetable Broth (you can mix a bullion with a cup of boiling water for this – or you can make it from scratch.)
3. Salt
4. EITHER: Eggs or Egg Substitute
5. One of the following: Avocado Oil / Coconut Oil / Melted Butter / Olive Oil
6. Garlic Powder (to tase)
7. Onion Powder (to taste)
8. Possibly some more salt (to taste)

Part of the problem I have when my kiddos ask me for help with something like this is that I mostly do this sort of thing from memory and by feel… I RARELY follow an actually recipe (sorry Avi, I should have explained that to you weeks ago – that’s the main reason it took me so long to write this)!

So Avi – here’s what I would normally do.

Steps in order:

1. Pour 1/2 or 1/4 of the carton of matzo meal into a large stainless steel mixing bowl.
2. Crack 4 (or 6) eggs into a stainless steel mixing bowl (smaller) and use the electric hand mixer to whip them until they have little bubbles and all are one color.
3. Add three or four tablespoons of vegetable soup stock  – plus one teaspoon of salt to the eggs and blend again. 
4. Add in (to egg mixture) a teaspoon to a tablespoon (more to taste) of powdered organic garlic and powdered organic onion. Blend well again.
5. Add in two or three tablespoons of your oil of choice. Olive oil can be too strong. Avocado oil is good. I hate coconut oil but you might prefer that. If you are not doing vegan matzo balls – melted butter is a yummy touch. Blend thoroughly with eggs.
6. Dump liquid mixture into bowl with matzo meal (you may need to use a silicone spatula to get all the last bits of spices out of this bowl and in to the other bowl.)
7. Stir well with a wooden spatula. If it is too runny or sticky – add more matzo meal (a tablespoon at a time) until it is just a little sticky. If it is dry at all add more soup broth and another tablespoon of oil.  Go back and forth until it is just the right sticky and not dry. Should stick to the sides of the bowl.
8. Taste it to make sure it has enough salt (but not too much salt) – and to make sure the garlic and onion powder are not overpowering (but are just the right amount of yummy.)
9. Put it in the fridge for at least an hour.
10. It should be hard, like hard cookie dough – and easy to roll in to balls when it is fully chilled.
11. Make broth while the matzo balls chill.
12. Throw sliced thick carrots, chopped tiny onions, sliced thick celery, salt, chopped tiny garlic, chopped tiny parsley – etc. in to pot of boiling water.
13. When it is boiling and the matzo ball meal mix is chill make small balls (see next step) and lower them gently (one at a time) into the water (you should lower the heat of the water so it is not a frenzied boil – but a gentle rolling boil when you add the balls into the broth).
14. To make the balls – cover your hands with oil (wash them well first – and don’t use too much oil – just enough so the mixture does not stick to your hands) and scoop the mixture using a teaspoon into your hand… a heaping teaspoon is generally a good amount to start.
15. A good ball size (pre-cooking) is the size of a small to medium bouncy ball. Golf ball size can work but may be too big.
16. Put each ball into the boiling soup as you make them (do not put them in all at once). This way you will be sure they do not stick to each other, because each one is slight cooked before you put the next one in.
17. Try to let the balls cook all the way – I challenge you! My children usually eat them before they are done cooking (20 to 30 minutes is ideal for smaller matzo balls.) Balls should at least double in size.
18. Take a ball out to test. Put it in a small dish with a little broth and cut it in half. If it is cooked all the way through it will have the same color and density all the way through. If it is not cooked enough it will be darker in the middle and possibly still a little gooey.
19. Let cool before eating so you don’t burn your mouth.
20. Call your Mom, Avi – if any of this does not make sense and if you have any difficulties.

Options / variations I make include:

Gluten free, vegan and dairy free – those might be fun variations to work with for your science experiment Avi! [But the ones you like that I make are the ones that include extra eggs.]

Have fun – kiddo!

Love,

Mom
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama

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