Vegetarian Matzoh Ball Soup
Submitted by Isa
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| prep time: 30 minutes | cooking time: 40 minutes | makes about 8 |
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I could write a novel on everything it took for me to perfect this recipe, but instead I will just give you the beautiful results. These are perfect light, fluffy and flavorful matzoh dumplings. Use home made vegetable stock to add tons of love and flavor. I suggest making the vegetable broth the night before. You can even make the matzoh mixture the night before and the big day will be a breeze.
You can half the recipe or even third it if you aren't serving the whole mespuchah. If you don't have a huge stock pot (I use a 16 Quart) then half the recipe or boil the matzoh balls in two sessions. I make my own matzoh meal by grinding the matzoh in a food processor (it takes about 6 to get the 1 1/2 cups called for in this recipe) but store bought will work just as well.
Equipment
Blender or food processor
Medium sized mixing bowl
Large stock pot with lid
Cutting board
Slotted spoon
Saran wrap or tupperware container with lid
Parchment paper(optional) |
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Equipment:
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups matzoh meal
12 oz package firm silken tofu (like mori-nu)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable stock
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 carrot, peeled
handful fresh dill
fresh parsley for garnish
8 cups or so vegetable broth
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine the matzoh meal with salt and pepper, set aside.
Crumble the tofu into In a blender or food processor, add the vegetable broth and puree until smooth. Add the oil and blend again.
Mix the tofu mixture with the matzoh meal. Combine well, making sure that everything moist. Grate 1/2 the carrot into the mixture and combine until it's well distributed. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to overnight. You can't skip this step, it's important in making sure that the matzoh balls will not fall apart when boiled.
When you are ready to form the balls, fill a large stock pot with enough water to fit all the matzoh balls with minimal touching. Salt the water generously, cover and bring to a boil.
Have handy a cutting board to line up the formed matzoh balls, and cover it with parchment paper if you have it, to prevent sticking. Also have handy a wet rag to wipe your hands on to make for clean hands for forming matzoh balls.
Remove matzoh mixture from the fridge. Form into tightly packed, walnut sized balls. When all the balls are prepared, drop carefully into the boiling water, 1 or two at a time, with a spatula or slotted spoon. Take your time and be careful, not to plop one on top of the other. When all the balls are in the water, cover the pot and DO NOT LIFT LID FOR FORTY MINUTES! Sorry for the caps, just had to stress it. When the forty minutes are up you can remove the lid. The matzoh balls will have floated to the top and will drop back down when lid is lifted. This is fun to watch.
Now they are ready to serve, however, to make them even lighter, you can turn off the heat, cover the pot again, and let them sit in the water for another hour or so. This way they absorb more water and expand a bit more.
Prepare the broth by placing it in a seperate pot. Grate the other half of the carrot into the broth, along with a healthy handful or fresh dill, roughly chopped. Bring to a low boil, and when it's just heated you're ready to prepare the bowls.
With a slotted spoon, carefully remove matzoh balls and place 2 or 3 in a bowl. Ladle the broth over the matzoh balls, so that they're covered only about half way. You can garnish with some more fresh dill, or parsley. Serve to whoever you love.
If you are not serving the soup right away, you can refrigerate them over night, and boil them when ready, Some people even freeze leftovers, but I never have as there's never been leftovers.
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Reviews (add your own)
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| Vive wrote on Saturday March 27th, 2004 12:37 PM |
 four soybeans |
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Best vegetarian matzo balls ever! They were so filling and delicious, It was fun to watch them float to the top and sink back down, the whole process was just and awesome experience. I halved the recipe and followed your advice of making the stock the night before. I'll make the whole recipe on the big day though and I honestly do not think anyone will notice that there's no eggs in there. -V |
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| Erwin Bloom wrote on Sunday March 28th, 2004 12:19 AM |
four soybeans |
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I'm so impressed with the detailed preparation. Thanks so much. I will definitely try it out.
I'm not sure of one of the steps. When the matzah balls are added to the boiling water; do I turn down the heat or leave it at boil? I'm afraid of "breaking up the balls" if I continue on "full heat"..Please advise. Thanks.
Erwin
Hi Irwin,leave it at a low boil - Isa |
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| Toby wrote on Friday April 02nd, 2004 09:12 PM |
four soybeans |
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This was my passover test run and it was a total success. I am ashamed to say they were better than my grandmas. The broth was so delicate and still flavorful, I did feel a great sense of accomplishment. Thank you! |
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| Denise Gaberman wrote on Monday April 05th, 2004 07:31 AM |
four soybeans |
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I love this recipe, the matzoh balls where light and fluffy and the soup made me feel warm and fuzzy. Don't tell my Aunt Martha but I think this was the best damn matzoh ball soup I've ever had-and it didn't fill me up so I could eat desert.
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| Stefan Lynch wrote on Monday April 05th, 2004 11:36 AM |
four soybeans |
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Anyone have suggestions for something as a binder instead of the tofu so they would be kosher for passover?
thanks
There are varying opinions as to whether tofu is kosher for passover, but for this recipes there isn't a good replacement. You could try a different recipe and replace the eggs with egg replacer...
PS recipes can only have 5 comments on each page. Someone named Alexis posted some comments and left no email address. Alexis if you'd like to add something email me, don't leave it as a comment in recipes.
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| Rachel wrote on Thursday May 06th, 2004 03:36 PM |
four soybeans |
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These were delicious! They were a big hit with my family & no one could believe that they were made with tofu. Regarding is tofu kosher for Passover: a conservative Rabbi in my area, (Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Synagogue in Los Angeles - he's also the author of many books) who follows a macrobiotic diet, deemed that it was kosher after researching the subject. |
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| shan wrote on Friday October 01st, 2004 01:37 AM |
four soybeans |
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Excellent!
I froze the leftovers and they were wonderful. |
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| Jewish cook wrote on Friday January 28th, 2005 12:40 AM |
four soybeans |
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The only way legumes (like soybeans) can be kosher for passover is if you cook them yourself. You can't buy kosher for passover tofu. To be kosher for passover you have to inspect all the beans to make sure no wheat or other grains got mixed in.
This step is very labor intensive, and no commercial company does it. If they did you wouldn't be able to afford the final product. This is why rabbis have ruled not to eat legumes on passover - it's simply too difficult for people to prepare them properly.
And even if you tell me it's unlikely that anything gets mixed into the soybeans, you still have to kasher the tofu making facility for passover. And there aren't any who do that. So there is no tofu available on passover.
If you really do want to eat tofu on passover, post a recipe for making it from beans. Or perhaps you could try using potato starch as a possible substitute for holding the matzoh ball together.
OK, thanks for the comments, although I didn't verify anything you said. My view is: consult with a rabbi before making this recipe. Do what works for you. My rabbi said it's ok so it's a go for me.- Isa |
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| terje wrote on Tuesday March 01st, 2005 12:33 AM |
four soybeans |
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just to weigh in on the question of tofu on Pesach...
it also depends on whether you are from the Askenazi or the Sephardi tradition... for Askenazi (largely Eastern European) Jews, the verdict is that legumes and rice and corn and similar items are not Kosher for Passover as they could potentially be ground up and made into a flour that could then attract leaven -in the form of natural yeast from the air
Spehardic Jews (those of use who trace our roots to the Mediterranean and Arab world) don't have the same restrictions - legumes (including soybeans) and rice and corn are allowed to be consumed during Passover. My rabbi says there is absolutely no problem with pure tofu during passover (although some of the additives that are sometimes added to commercial brands could be a problem -- agar for example. One more reason to actually read the label...)
It was always amusing to me while rowing up to see my Askenazi friends look aghast at us eating rice and beans and corn during Passover --- just two different cultures within Judaism with different approaches to the question of what constitutes "hametz"
So I'm lucky that this recipe works for me for Passover, with no crisis of faith resulting -- I just can;t serve it to most of my Askenazi friends |
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| Dan wrote on Friday March 17th, 2006 10:07 AM |
 three and a half soybeans |
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This is a great recipe and really simple to make. I want to add that when I made the matzoh ball mix I had to add half a cup or so of water, it was too dry otherwise. I also found the matzoh balls themselves slightly bland, so in the future I'll add more spices and maybe even nutritional yeast to the mixture.
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