Matzo Ball Soup

For me, matzo ball soup is comfort food; warm, soothing chicken soup with a big, steaming, ball of carbohydrate.

When I was young, it was my grandmother – the one who wasn’t a particularly good cook – who taught me to make matzo balls. You would think there is a secret Strieb family recipe. Nope, she used the one on the back of the box of matzo meal – with one simple twist – a handful of finely chopped, fresh dill added to the beaten eggs. That’s it – that’s what makes my grandmother’s matzo balls special.

There are two things about matzo balls I’ve never understood.

First, I don’t get why diner matzo balls are the size of a softball. I guess they think everything in outlandish proportions is better, but it’s just not right. Lacrosse ball-size – a little smaller than a tennis ball – is much more like it.

I’ve also never understood matzo ball mix. I recommend using matzo meal. I don’t like the added salt, onions, garlic, and pepper in the matzo ball mix. If you want these extra ingredients in your matzo balls, just add them. However, my brother recently explained to me that he likes the mix because it makes the matzo balls lighter, which brings us to the never-ending matzo ball debate on floaters vs. sinkers. The sodium bicarbonate – found in both baking soda and baking powder – in the mix must help them float. I’ve also heard that adding seltzer instead of water to the matzo meal can give them levity. I’m not sure if it works, and I can’t be bothered. While mine aren’t exactly sinkers, they could be considered dense. That’s how they’ve always been, and it’s how I like them. But if you want to make them lighter than mine, try adding ½ to 1 teaspoon of baking powder with the dry ingredients or replacing the water with seltzer, and let me know how they turn out.

Matzo Balls

Adapted from the back of a box of Streit’s Matzo Meal.

About 10 matzo balls, 1 hour 45 minutes, 1½ hour unattended

1 cup matzo meal

1 tsp. plus 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt, divided

½ tsp. fresh ground pepper

4 large eggs

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup water

1 small handful fresh dill, washed and finely chopped

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix matzo meal, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper (and baking soda or powder, if using). Set aside.
2. In a separate medium-sized bowl, beat eggs with oil, water, and chopped dill.
3. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir to mix well. Allow to sit in refrigerator for a full hour.
4. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add remaining 1 tablespoon salt.
5. After 1 hour, remove matzo mixture from refrigerator. Moisten a tablespoon and your hands with cold water and shape a tablespoon-size blob of matzo meal mixture into a rough ball a little bit bigger than the size of a walnut. Drop it into the boiling water. Repeat with the remaining mixture. If balls stick to the pot, gently scrape off the bottom with a slotted spoon.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and partially cover, allowing matzo balls to cook for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure all sides of matzo balls are being cooked.
7. After a half hour, remove matzo balls with a slotted spoon and place in a pot of chicken soup to allow them to absorb flavors.

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