How to Make Matzo Ball Soup
Matzo ball soup is a classic Ashkenazi Jewish dish built on simple ingredients, careful technique, and a well-seasoned broth.
This guide shows how to make matzo ball soup with light, tender dumplings and a clear, flavorful soup base.
The details matter more than the ingredient list: mixing, chilling, simmering, and timing all affect the final texture.
Once you understand the method, the recipe becomes straightforward and highly repeatable.
What Matzo Ball Soup Is
Matzo ball soup combines matzo meal dumplings, often called kneidlach or kneidlach soup, with chicken broth and vegetables such as carrots, celery, and onion.
It is especially common during Passover, when leavened grains are avoided, but it is also served year-round as comfort food.
In many households, the broth is made from a whole chicken or chicken parts, though high-quality store-bought broth can work when time is limited.
The matzo balls can be light and fluffy or dense and substantial depending on regional and family preference.
Ingredients You Need
For the broth
- Chicken broth or stock, preferably low-sodium
- Chicken pieces or a whole chicken for deeper flavor
- Carrots
- Celery
- Yellow onion
- Garlic, optional
- Fresh dill or parsley
- Salt and black pepper
For the matzo balls
- Matzo meal
- Eggs
- Fat such as schmaltz, vegetable oil, or chicken fat
- Water or club soda
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Optional baking powder for a lighter texture, if your recipe allows it
Schmaltz adds the most traditional flavor, but neutral oil is common and reliable.
Club soda can help create a lighter dumpling, while a longer chill improves structure.
How to Make Matzo Ball Soup
Step 1: Build a flavorful broth
Start by placing chicken, onion, carrots, celery, and enough water or stock to cover everything in a large pot.
Bring it to a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, so the broth stays clearer and the chicken remains tender.
Skim any foam from the top during the first 15 to 20 minutes.
Add salt gradually, then simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are soft, usually 45 to 90 minutes depending on the cut used.
Step 2: Strain and season the soup base
Remove the chicken and vegetables, then strain the broth if you want a cleaner finish.
Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs such as dill or parsley.
If using cooked chicken in the soup, shred or slice it and reserve it for serving.
You can also add a few fresh carrot slices back into the broth for color and texture.
Step 3: Mix the matzo ball batter
Whisk the eggs, fat, water or club soda, salt, and pepper together until combined.
Stir in the matzo meal until evenly moistened, then cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes, or longer if your recipe calls for it.
Chilling is important because it allows the matzo meal to absorb liquid and firm up.
This step makes it easier to form balls and helps them hold together during cooking.
Step 4: Shape the matzo balls
Wet your hands lightly to prevent sticking, then form the batter into balls about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide.
For a lighter texture, avoid packing them too tightly; for a firmer texture, shape them more firmly.
Keep the size consistent so they cook evenly.
If the batter becomes sticky, return it to the refrigerator for a few minutes before shaping more.
Step 5: Cook the matzo balls separately
Bring a pot of salted water or broth to a gentle simmer and drop in the matzo balls.
Cover the pot and cook without boiling vigorously, since rough bubbling can break the dumplings apart.
Cook until they expand and become cooked through, typically 20 to 40 minutes depending on size and recipe.
They should feel set on the outside and fluffy or tender in the center.
Step 6: Assemble and serve
Add the cooked matzo balls to hot broth just before serving.
Top with shredded chicken, sliced carrots, and fresh dill if desired.
Serve immediately so the dumplings stay light and the broth stays hot.
If holding for later, keep the matzo balls and soup base separate until serving time.
Tips for Light, Tender Matzo Balls
- Chill the batter long enough for the matzo meal to hydrate fully.
- Cook at a gentle simmer instead of a hard boil.
- Do not overmix once the matzo meal is added.
- Use a consistent scoop or spoon so the balls cook evenly.
- Keep the pot covered while the matzo balls cook to maintain steady heat.
If you prefer very light matzo balls, many cooks use club soda, extra egg white, or a specific family recipe that leans toward fluffiness.
For denser matzo balls, use less aeration and a tighter hand when shaping.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Boiling the soup too hard
Rapid boiling can make the broth cloudy and toughen the chicken.
A controlled simmer produces better texture and cleaner flavor.
Skipping the chill time
Unchilled batter is harder to shape and more likely to fall apart.
The refrigerator gives the matzo meal time to absorb liquid.
Cooking matzo balls in aggressively boiling water
A strong boil can cause the dumplings to break or become unevenly textured.
Gentle cooking is the standard method.
Make-Ahead and Storage Advice
Broth can be made one to three days ahead and refrigerated, which often improves flavor.
Matzo ball batter also benefits from making ahead, as long as it remains covered in the refrigerator.
Cooked matzo balls can be stored separately from the soup for 2 to 3 days.
To reheat, warm them in broth over low heat until heated through, rather than microwaving, which can change the texture.
If freezing, freeze the broth and chicken separately from the matzo balls whenever possible.
Freshly cooked matzo balls usually deliver the best texture after thawing.
Serving Ideas and Variations
Classic matzo ball soup usually includes carrots and dill, but many kitchens add parsnips, extra celery, or a touch of garlic.
Some cooks use turkey broth after holiday meals, while others make a vegetarian version with mushroom or vegetable stock.
For a more aromatic soup, add bay leaf, whole peppercorns, or a small bundle of parsley stems to the broth.
For a richer result, simmer the chicken with skin and bone-in pieces.
- Traditional: chicken broth, carrots, celery, dill, and shredded chicken
- Vegetable-forward: vegetable stock, parsnips, leeks, and parsley
- Holiday version: turkey broth with herbs and root vegetables
How to Tell When It Is Done
Matzo balls are done when they are fully expanded, firm enough to hold together, and tender all the way through.
If you cut one open, it should not appear wet or gummy in the center.
The broth is ready when it tastes balanced, the vegetables are soft, and the herbs have infused the liquid.
At that point, the soup is ready to ladle into bowls and serve hot.