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An overhead view of a shallow white soup bowl filled with homemade matzo ball soup with chicken and carrots and several sprigs of fresh dill.

Matzo Ball Soup

Course: Soup
Cuisine: Jewish, Kosher
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Simmering the Broth and Chilling: 12 hours
Total Time: 12 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 289kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
This Matzo Ball Soup is so satisfying, so heart-warming, and just one of our all-time favorites. Homemade chicken broth with wonderful tender matzo balls is a match made in Heaven. Easily make it ahead of time. And it just gets better with time!
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Do Ahead

  • 4 quarts chicken broth
  • 2 chicken breasts skin-on, bone-in
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

For the Matzo Balls

  • 4 large eggs separated, egg whites and yolks
  • 1¼ cups matzo meal sometimes spelled matzoh*
  • ¼ cup parsley chopped
  • 2 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoon schmaltz rendered chicken fat (see NOTES)
  • ½ cup chicken broth the liquid used to cook the chicken

For the Soup

  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced into ¼-inch medallions
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • sprigs of dill for garnish

Instructions

Do Ahead

  • Prepare the chicken broth and chill in the refrigerator (uncovered) for 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
    4 quarts chicken broth
  • Remove the pot of broth from the refrigerator just before you are ready to start making the matzo balls.
  • To roast the chicken, preheat oven to 350°F. Brush olive oil over the skin of the chicken and then liberally season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking rack on a baking sheet and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until you reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Set aside to cool and then remove the skin and pull the meat from the bones, shredding with your hands. Refrigerate until ready to add to the soup.
    2 chicken breasts, 2 tablespoon olive oil, Salt and pepper

Make the Matzo Balls

  • In a medium bowl, beat the eggs whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks just form. Set aside.
    4 large eggs
  • In a separate medium bowl, stir together the matzo meal, parsley, dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper.
    1¼ cups matzo meal, ¼ cup parsley, 2 tablespoon fresh dill, ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Use a spoon to scrape the schmaltz (3 tbsp) from the surface of the chilled broth. Work the schmaltz (or oil if no schmaltz) into the matzo mixture until incorporated (you can use your fingers to do this). Remove the remaining congealed fat on the surface of the broth and discard.
    3 tablespoon schmaltz
  • Stir in the chicken broth (½ cup), and then the egg yolks.
    ½ cup chicken broth
  • Now, use a wooden spatula to fold in half of the egg whites into the mixture.
  • Gently fold in the remaining whites until fully incorporated.
  • Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Make the Soup

  • Heat the broth over medium heat on the stove until heated through.
  • Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the carrots. Sprinkle a couple pinches of salt over the carrots. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
    2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 3 medium carrots, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • Pour the warm broth into the Dutch oven or skillet with the carrots.
  • With dampened fingers, gently form chilled matzo mixture into 1 to 2-inch balls (they will expand as they cook), and then gently drop them 1 at a time into the simmering broth.
  • Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.
  • Serve hot in soup bowls and garnish with dill sprigs.
    sprigs of dill

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 
When you chill your homemade chicken broth, you'll be awarded with schmaltz. As the broth chills in the fridge, the fat will rise to the top and congeal. This is chicken schmaltz! If you don't make the broth from scratch, then you can substitute the schmaltz with olive oil or softened butter. 
The broth and the roasted chicken can be made several days before preparing the soup. 
Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for up to one week and it freezes beautifully for several months. Simply reheat on the stove over medium heat until simmering and heated through. 

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 2111mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4105IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg