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matzo ball soup with chicken

(2 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Ashley Burnam
Phoenix, AZ

I love, love, love Matzo balls... I could eat just a giant bowl of them, but I think that might be weird, so of course, some yummy carrots, celery, and chicken have to join the party. This is awesome for weeknights when I don't have time to cook the chicken first. Perfect for feeding the whole family or having leftovers to take for lunch!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

A super simple-to-follow matzo ball soup recipe that can be made in a snap. Using rotisserie chicken saves the step of cooking chicken. Chunks of onion, celery, and carrots are classic ingredients that add flavor to the broth. Perfectly cooked matzo balls add heartiness to this warm and comforting soup. Perfect for the cooler weather or if you feel a cold coming on.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2 ratings)
yield serving(s)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 40 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For matzo ball soup with chicken

  • 1
    rotisserie chicken, pulled off the bone
  • 2-3 Tbsp
    butter
  • 4 lg
    carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 md
    white onion, finely chopped
  • 4 stalk
    celery, chopped
  • 32 oz
    low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 pkg
    matzo ball mix (they come in two per box - I only use 1)
  • 2 lg
    eggs
  • 2 Tbsp
    vegetable oil
  • 1-2 tsp
    coarse salt and fresh pepper, divided
  • 1 tsp
    dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp
    dried basil
  • 1 tsp
    garlic powder with parsley
  • 1 tsp
    onion powder

How To Make matzo ball soup with chicken

  • Matzo, eggs, salt, and vegetable oil in a bowl.
    1
    Start by preparing the matzo balls. Empty the package into a bowl. Add both eggs, a pinch of salt, and the vegetable oil. Stir until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes, no longer than 20.
  • Prepping carrots, onions, and celery.
    2
    While you're free, peel the carrots and chop the celery. Make sure the carrots are a little bigger than the celery because they take longer to get tender. I also chop the onion at this time very small.
  • Sweating onions in a Dutch oven.
    3
    In a stock pot, drop the butter and let it melt on medium-high heat. Then add the onions and about 1 tsp of salt and pepper. Sweat the onions for a few minutes.
  • Celery and carrots added to the onions.
    4
    Then add the carrots and celery. Then cover for 5 minutes. Stir and re-cover. (I do this to make the onions basically disintegrate, but you can omit the onions and simply boil the carrots and celery in chicken broth if you want.)
  • Rolled matzo balls on a plate.
    5
    It probably has been about 15-20 minutes, so it's time to roll the matzo balls. Get your hands wet and keep a bowl of water to the side to dip your fingers (trust me). The package says you'll get 9-12 matzo balls, but I like them a little smaller, so I get about 1 Tbsp of the mix and roll it. (Makes closer to 16 this way. I have also used 2 packages and get about 25-30.) Tip 1: After you remove the mix from the fridge, DO NOT STIR. Also, make sure you don't roll them too rough because your matzo balls will be too dense. Put the matzo balls back in the fridge. TIP 1. After you remove the mix from the fridge. DO NOT STIR!! Also, make sure you don't roll them too rough because your matzo balls will be too dense(yuck)
  • Chicken broth and seasonings added to the vegetables.
    6
    Dump the chicken broth and remaining seasonings into the veggies and pump the heat to high. Cover so it boils faster.
  • Matzo balls dropped into broth to cook.
    7
    Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to medium-high and drop the matzo balls in. Cover for 10 minutes. Then stir very gently. Cover for another 5-10 minutes.
  • Chicken added to the pot.
    8
    Everything in the pot should be tender now, so add the pulled chicken to the pot and reduce the heat to low. The chicken will reheat quickly. You can serve it right now if you want! This soup is so good and low in sodium, so very healthy.
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