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Matzo Ball Soup

This Matzo Ball Soup is an exceptionally delicious Jewish dish made with matzah meal dumplings. There's so much comfort and warmth in this soup, and the best part is that the highly flavorful homemade chicken stock in made in the Instant pot. One sip and and you will be hooked!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
IP Time
35 mins
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
Servings: 5
Calories: 516 kcal
Course: Soup , Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine: American , Israeli

Ingredients

Chicken Stock
  • 3-4 pound whole chicken cut into pieces, remove excess skin and reserve
  • 2 quarts water
  • 3 stalks celery cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 large onion peeled and cut in half
  • 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
  • 6 sprigs parsley
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper ground
Matzo Balls
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons chicken schmaltz or vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup matzo meal
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons club soda
Assembly
  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Chicken Stock
    Cup of Yum
  1. Make the chicken stock: Add all the chicken stock ingredients to your instant pot. Close the lid (follow the manufacturer’s guide for instructions on how to close the instant pot lid). Set the Instant Pot to the manual setting and set the timer to 20 minutes. Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is finished, should take about 15 minutes. Follow the manufacturer’s guide for quick release, if in a rush. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot.
Matzo Balls
  1. Prepare matzo balls: While the stock is cooking, prepare the matzo balls. Whisk the eggs in a medium sized bowl. Add the chicken schmaltz, matzo meal, salt, club soda and stir well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Strain chicken stock: Using tongs, carefully remove the chicken pieces and carrots from the instant pot. Strain the rest of the broth through a strainer, discarding any leftover solids. Pour the remaining broth back into the instant pot. Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting and bring to a boil. 
  3. Cook matzo balls: Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out equal size balls from the matzo ball mixture and place them on a cutting board. With moistened hands, roll each ball between your hands. Carefully, drop the matzo balls into the boiling broth. Turn the sauté function to the low setting for 30 minutes. Close the lid and simmer the matzo balls for 30 minutes. Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest.
Assembly
  1. Chop veggies and shred chicken: While the matzo balls are cooking, chop the reserved cooked carrots in slices. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and shred with 2 forks.
  2. Assemble plates and serve: Add the chopped carrots and shredded chicken back to the Instant Pot. Serve soup with chicken, carrots and 2 to 3 matzo balls per serving. Garnish with fresh dill. alternatively you can prep individual bowls with chicken, carrots, and soup, as seen in video.

Notes

  • Chicken schmaltz is just rendered chicken fat. Use the reserved excess skin from the chicken to render.
  • It usually takes the instant pot 15 to 20 minutes to come to pressure, that's when the timer starts, and another 15 minutes or so for natural pressure release.
  • I like to freeze matzo balls first on a baking sheet, then place them in a container. This prevents the balls from sticking when trying to remove a specific amount from the freezer.
  • If you have the time, it's best to make soup stock from scratch. Not only is it cost effective, but you get a lot more robust chicken flavor and tons of nutrients. It also tastes infinitely better than anything from the supermarket.
  • Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 516kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 27g (9%) Protein 31g (62%) Fat 31g (48%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 7g Monounsaturated Fat 13g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 216mg (72%) Sodium 1373mg (57%) Potassium 596mg (17%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 8729IU (175%) Vitamin C 11mg (12%) Calcium 87mg (9%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 516

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 516kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 27g 9%
Protein 31g 62%
Fat 31g 48%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 7g 41%
Monounsaturated Fat 13g 65%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 216mg 72%
Sodium 1373mg 57%
Potassium 596mg 13%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 8729IU 175%
Vitamin C 11mg 12%
Calcium 87mg 9%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.