End This Hanukkah Right: Matzo Ball Soup With A Twist

Hanukkah - the Festival of Lights - falls in the darkest and often coldest time of year for those of us residing in this part of the world.  And there is nothing quite like a steaming delicious bowl of Matzo ball soup to warm you from the piercing wind and snow.  

Matzo balls are almost like a Jewish version of noodles - a flavor-neutral carbohydrate often paired with soups as well as other dishes.  They are formed out of a mix of matzo meal with some eggs, vegetable oil and a variety of spices. A quick google search will reveal that most people that bother to post their matzo ball recipes online also bother to deem them "world famous", "best in the world", "perfect" and  the like. 

Mine come from a box, but the spices and the broth I add to my soup, make them a serious contender to anything "world famous".

For this soup, the stock  is just as important as the other ingredients and I always use my Kickin' Chicken stock, (recipe below). What's more, this stock also works well in other soups, especially chicken noodle, chicken and rice, and Southwestern soups.

I often find the matzo balls a little bland so I add some lively ingredients to both the mix and to the chicken broth I serve them in.  Fresh kicks of hot peppers, lemon and parsley take this Old Country favorite to all kinds of new heights. 

So, without further delay, I bring you Anna's Rather Amazing Matzo Ball Soup.

First you will need to make some Kickin' Chicken Stock.

You will need:

Chicken parts for stock – you can either quarter a whole chicken and cut out the breast meat, or use necks and wings. Bones and collagen are what make great stock, so no need to be fancy here.

One medium onion

One medium carrot

One medium parsnip (optional)

Seven (yes, seven) garlic cloves

Seven coriander seeds

Seven whole peppercorns

Three to four whole green cardamom seeds (optional) Available at local Indian specialty stores: , , , and

About an inch of ginger root

One lemon cut in half

A couple of pinches of salt

Two hot peppers – choose your level of heat, from milder green jalapeños to fiery Scotch Bonnet peppers

Cilantro and lemon for serving

Method:

1. In a large pot combine everything except for coriander, cardamom and peppercorns.  Add enough water to at least cover everything, or more if you can.
2. Bring the stock to boil. As the water starts boiling, start skimming the foam off the surface – it will help your stock to stay clear and shiny.
3. After the stock boils and you removed the foam, reduce the heat and take it down to a simmer. Add peppercorns, cardamom and coriander.
4. Simmer the stock on low heat for as long as you have the patience for. I usually go for about 2-4 hours.
5. Strain the stock through a colander. You can save the chicken parts to use later.

Anna's Rather Magnificent Matzo Balls

You will need:

Box mix/DIY – I use Manischewitz, but you can substitute a favorite brand, or make it from scratch. In case of the Manischewitz, the amounts are for one package.

Eggs and vegetable oil according to directions (I use chili-infused olive oil) - usually it's 2 eggs and 2 Tbsp of oil

¼ cup fresh parsley

1/2 Tbsp chopped green jalapeños or 1 tsp red pepper flakes (I like the latter for color)

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp ground black pepper

Method:

1. Mix everything according to your recipe or directions on the box. Blend well together.
2. Put the mixture in the refrigerator for about 20-25 minutes.
3. Wet your hands in very cold water and form the balls – I like them to be about 2/3" diameter, but you can make much bigger ones. I use a teaspoon-sized measuring spoon to form mine. Be sure to dip it in cold water often, otherwise the mixture will stick.
4. Bring about 2.5 quarts of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Drop in the matzo balls and immediately reduce to simmer. Cover tightly.
5. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes (depending on the size). Turn off the heat and let the matzo balls cool off for about 5-7 minutes.

To put it all together, place 3-5 matzo balls in a bowl, pour on the hot stock and top with cilantro and a slice of lemon.

Enjoy!

P.S. Leftover matzo balls? Not a problem. Fry them in some oil - and thank me later.