Hello, foodies…
Happy Passover to one and all! I pray a bowl of Matzo Ball Soup is in your future before the week’s end—whether you're Jewish or not! This soup is like a big bowl of comfort and I’m indebted to the folks at America’s Test Kitchen for sharing one of the easiest and yummiest Matzo Ball Soup recipes I’ve seen.
Matzo Ball Soup
Serves 6 to 8
The flavor of this soup depends on homemade broth; do not substitute store-bought broth. We prefer the flavor of matzo balls made with chicken fat, but vegetable oil can be substituted. If you make the matzo balls larger, they may require a longer cooking time. The flavor and texture of the matzo balls will vary widely depending on the brand of matzo meal you use; more finely ground matzo meal will produce fluffier matzo balls.
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup chicken fat or vegetable oil (see note)
- 6 tablespoons water, plus extra as needed
- 1 cup matzo meal, plus extra as needed
- Salt and pepper
- 8 cups Simple Chicken Broth
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1⁄8 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley
1. Whisk eggs, chicken fat, and water together in a medium bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together matzo meal, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir matzo mixture into egg mixture until just combined and let sit for 2 minutes.
2. Adjust consistency of matzo mixture as needed with additional matzo meal or water until it resembles texture of soft mashed potatoes (when a wooden spoon is run through the mixture to divide it in two, the two sides do not run back together). Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
3. Bring 4 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in large Dutch oven. Use moistened hands to shape 1 tablespoon matzo mixture into a 1-inch ball; repeat with remaining matzo mixture. Drop balls into boiling water, cover, reduce to gentle simmer, and cook until matzo balls are cooked through and firm, about 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer in large Dutch oven. Add carrots and simmer gently until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer cooked matzo balls to soup. Off heat, stir in dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Now for our next “Do You Know the Muffin Pan” recipe, which we're debuting this Wednesday on In the Kitchen with David. Here's my Chicken and Dumplings Pot Pie!
Chicken & Dumplings Pot Pie
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked chicken, diced into small pieces
- 3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 2 (10.5-oz) cans chicken gravy
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 3-1/2 cup all-purpose baking mix
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup milk
Directions:
- Combine the chicken, peas and carrots, 1 can of the chicken gravy, salt, pepper, and 1 tsp of the thyme and mix until incorporated. Divide the mixture evenly among 6 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze overnight, or until you’re ready to bake the muffins.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 6-cup Texas-size muffin pan with cooking spray.
- Mix together the all-purpose baking mix, buttermilk, milk, and remaining thyme in a medium-size bowl until smooth. Fill each muffin pan cup approximately 1/3 of the way full with the dumpling dough.
- Remove the chicken filling from the freezer and run the bottom side of the muffin pan under warm water for 30 seconds, just to loosen the filling from the pan. Using a fork, pop the frozen fillings out and place one in the center of each dough cup. Divide the remaining dough over the top of each chicken filling, making sure the top layer of dough covers the filling entirely and connects to the bottom layer of dough. Bake for 45 minutes.
- While the muffins are baking, heat the remaining can of chicken gravy and serve it with the finished muffins.
This recipe is prepared using the Temp-tations® Old World Figural Chicken 5-Piece Measuring Set (K29354).
Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.
The beauty of this recipe—besides the fact that it’s literally Chicken Pot Pie with Chicken & Dumplings combined into one perfect muffin—is its size. You can eat hearty comfort foods without feeling guilty because you’re sticking to a single serving size. You're not blindly filling a bowl or plate until it's full, and in turn, eating two or three servings. I also love this particular recipe because you can make the filling ahead of time and freeze it for later. Talk about a time saver!
Don’t forget the Beekman Boys are in the kitchen tomorrow with their new title, The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook. I shared their Vegetable-Cheddar Breakfast Muffins recipe in my blog on Friday…did you see it? They've also got Mary, Brent, Josh, and I will see you Wednesday for In the Kitchen with David at 8pm ET!
Keep it flavorful!
—David