Matzo ball soup

Ingredients

0 of 16 out on the counter

• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 8 cups no-salt-added chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp salt, for the soup
• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
• 4 large eggs, for the matzo balls
• ¼ cup olive oil, for the matzo balls
• 1 cup whole-wheat matzo meal, for the matzo balls
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for the matzo balls
• ½ tsp salt, for the matzo balls
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups water, plus 3 tbsp cold water for the matzo balls

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Make the matzo ball mix first. Beat the eggs with the oil and 3 tbsp cold water until smooth. Stir in the matzo meal, parsley and the ½ tsp of salt for the balls just until it comes together. Cover and chill at least 1 hour so the meal can swell.
2. 2In a large pot, put the chicken, broth, 4 cups of water, onion, garlic, bay leaves, pepper and the ½ tsp of salt for the soup. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover, and cook 25 to 30 minutes, until the thickest piece reads 165 °F.
3. 3Lift the chicken to a board and shred it with two forks. Set it aside.
4. 4Add the carrots and celery to the pot and simmer 10 minutes, until tender.
5. 5Wet your hands and roll the chilled mix into 12 balls about 1½ inches across. Handle them lightly and do not pack them; they about double as they cook.
6. 6Keep the soup at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil. Lower in the balls, cover, and cook 40 to 50 minutes, turning each once halfway. Water simmers at about 203 °F here, so give them a quarter longer than a sea-level card. Cut one open: it is done when it is pale all the way through, with no dark, wet center.
7. 7Stir the shredded chicken back in and bring the soup to a boil, then lift the pot from the heat. Stir in the dill. Serve two balls to a bowl.
8. 8Cool in shallow containers for no more than 2 hours, then refrigerate up to 4 days. The balls drink up broth, so keep extra broth on hand. For the freezer, lift out the balls and freeze the soup alone for up to 3 months; reheat to a boil and add fresh or reheated balls.