Chicken matzo ball soup

Serves:

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 cups coarse matzo meal
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• half a cup soda water
• 4 cups salted water or chicken stock for cooking the matzo balls
• 2 small carrots, sliced
• 2 litres chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large mixing bowl, stir the eggs (don‰t whisk) and add the oil, soda water, matzo meal and salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently until just combined, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Fill a small bowl with iced water and keep nearby. Dip your hands in the iced water and gently form 4cm balls from the matzo meal mixture. Dip your hands in the iced water between making each ball.

Fill a large saucepan with enough salted water or chicken stock (about 4 cups) to allow balls to move freely, boil then reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook for thirty minutes. Remove the balls and set aside on a plate, discarding the cooking liquid.

Bring a large heavy-based saucepan to medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil. Saute carrot, then add the additional stock. Prepare bowls by adding two balls and ladling the soup over this. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

• The stock or water you use to cook the matzo balls will go cloudy during the cooking, so don‰t be tempted to reuse it in the soup as the finished soup should be clear.
• The better the chicken stock you use here, the better the soup. I recommend homemade chicken stock for this recipe, not store-bought (unless its made by the butcher etc.)
• I‰ am not Jewish but this rates as one of my favourite soups!
• This recipe was created by Kristine Duran-Thiessen for Kidspot, New Zealand‰s best recipe finder

Serving Suggestions

Note