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An overhead view of a shallow white soup bowl filled with homemade matzo ball soup with chicken and carrots and several sprigs of fresh dill.
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An overhead view of a shallow white soup bowl filled with homemade matzo ball soup with chicken and carrots and several sprigs of fresh dill.
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Home » Recipe Index » Soups & Salads

Matzo Ball Soup with Roasted Chicken

Published: Apr 21, 2024 by Kris Longwell · This post may contain affiliate links

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An overhead view of a shallow white soup bowl filled with homemade matzo ball soup with chicken and carrots and several sprigs of fresh dill.

This has been a favorite soup of ours ever since we moved to New York City in the late 80s.

It all starts with a deeply flavorful chicken broth, which in turn provides you with classic schmaltz, or chicken fat, for the best-ever homemade matzo balls. It's perfect for Passover, especially with an amazing brisket and rolls. But, it's so good, we love making it throughout the year.

An overhead view of a shallow white soup bowl filled with homemade matzo ball soup with chicken and carrots and several sprigs of fresh dill.

How to Make Matzo Ball Soup with Roasted Chicken

 

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The Ingredients You Will Need

The ingredients in this iconic soup are easy to find and the broth can be made well in advance. Here's what you'll need to have on hand:

For the Broth

Chicken - For maximum flavor, use bone-in skin-on chicken pieces. Thighs and breasts are great choices.
Mirepoix - Carrots, celery, and onion, roughly cut up.
Bouquet Garni - A bundle of fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, celery leaves, parsley, dill, and bay leaves. Bundle them together into a cheesecloth packet, if possible.
Seasoning - Salt, if desired.

For the Matzo Balls and the Soup

Matzo Meal, or Matzo - Found in the Kosher section of most supermarkets. If you can't find matzo meal, simply pick up the matzo crackers and pulverize them in your food processor or in a baggie.
Fresh herbs - Dill and parsley, finely chopped.
Seasonings - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Broth - From the homemade chicken broth, or purchased.
Schmaltz - Scrape the congealed chicken fat from the surface of the chilled chicken broth. If you don't make the broth, then you can substitute olive oil or softened unsalted butter.
Eggs - Separated. You'll need 4 egg whites and 4 egg yolks.

EXPERT TIP: Allowing the chicken broth to chill overnight will give you a solid layer of schmaltz that will be easy to spoon off the following day. You'll only need 3 tablespoons of schmaltz. Safely discard the rest of the congealed fat.

A person using a spoon to scrape congealed chicken fat, also known as schmaltz, from the surface of chilled chicken broth in a stock pan.
Make the Broth or Stock in Advance - You can buy quality chicken broth from the store, and the soup will still be delicious. But making the chicken broth or stock is easy and puts the soup over the top.

Chill the Matzo Mixture - Before making the matzo balls, ensure that the mixture is well chilled before shaping and cooking to achieve light and fluffy results. Incorporating the egg whites into the matzo ball mixture adds some lightness and airiness, but, the schmaltz also makes them dense. The perfect combination.

Garnish with Fresh Dill - Just before serving, garnish the matzo ball soup with freshly chopped dill to add a burst of fresh herb flavor and a vibrant touch to the dish. This will elevate the overall taste and presentation.

Four images with the first a person adding schmaltz to a bowl of matzo meal and then that person pouring in chicken broth, and then four eggs yolks, and then whipped egg whites.

Other Broth Soups To Try

We love all kinds of soups, but, soups that have a broth or stock as the base are just so comforting and delicious. Here is a collection of some of our favorites that we are certain you and your family will love, too:

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
Tortilla Soup with Roasted Chicken
Chicken and Dumplings
Vietnamese Chicken Phó
French Onion
Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Sausage
Instant Pot Minestrone
Italian Wedding Soup
Farm Fresh Corn Chowder
Ramen with Spinach and Poached Egg

EXPERT TIP: You can form the matzo balls to be any size you like. We like them to be in the range of 1 to 2 inches in thickness. Just make sure they are all the same size to ensure even cooking for them all. Remember they will expand during the cooking process.

A person holding an uncooked matzo ball over an oval Dutch oven that is filled with simmering chicken broth.

How To Serve

This soup is hearty and makes for a wonderful appetizer, but it's also filling enough to make a glorious soup entree.

We serve the soup directly from the pot. Just plunge a large ladle into the soup and let family or guests fill their own soup bowls.

Wesley likes to crumble extra matzo crackers into his soup, but, the soup is so nourishing on its own, that's not necessary, but, it's fun to have it on the side, especially with a little softened butter.

EXPER TIP: Before serving, you'll need to taste the broth. You may need to add more salt, especially if you used purchased chicken broth or stock. Be careful not to over-salt, though!

A close-up view of a three homemade matzo balls in a soup bowl of chicken broth a pieces of chicken and carrot slices.
Talk about a soup steeped in history and heritage. You can taste the love and care that goes into making this iconic soup.

It is such a wonderful celebration of Jewish culture and faith and is enjoyed by so many around the world, especially during Passover.

But, we love it all year round, and so will you and your loved ones!

An overhead view of a bowl of matzo ball soup with a spoon in the soup with a partially eaten matzo ball on it.

Ready to make the best soup in town? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!

An overhead view of a shallow white soup bowl filled with homemade matzo ball soup with chicken and carrots and several sprigs of fresh dill.

Matzo Ball Soup

This Matzo Ball Soup is so satisfying, so heart-warming, and just one of our all-time favorites. Homemade chicken broth with wonderful tender matzo balls is a match made in Heaven. Easily make it ahead of time. And it just gets better with time!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Jewish, Kosher
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Simmering the Broth and Chilling: 12 hours hours
Total Time: 12 hours hours 55 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 289kcal
Author: Kris Longwell

Video

Ingredients

Do Ahead

  • 4 quarts chicken broth
  • 2 chicken breasts skin-on, bone-in
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

For the Matzo Balls

  • 4 large eggs separated, egg whites and yolks
  • 1¼ cups matzo meal sometimes spelled matzoh*
  • ¼ cup parsley chopped
  • 2 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoon schmaltz rendered chicken fat (see NOTES)
  • ½ cup chicken broth the liquid used to cook the chicken

For the Soup

  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced into ¼-inch medallions
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • sprigs of dill for garnish

Instructions

Do Ahead

  • Prepare the chicken broth and chill in the refrigerator (uncovered) for 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
    4 quarts chicken broth
  • Remove the pot of broth from the refrigerator just before you are ready to start making the matzo balls.
  • To roast the chicken, preheat oven to 350°F. Brush olive oil over the skin of the chicken and then liberally season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking rack on a baking sheet and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until you reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Set aside to cool and then remove the skin and pull the meat from the bones, shredding with your hands. Refrigerate until ready to add to the soup.
    2 chicken breasts, 2 tablespoon olive oil, Salt and pepper

Make the Matzo Balls

  • In a medium bowl, beat the eggs whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks just form. Set aside.
    4 large eggs
  • In a separate medium bowl, stir together the matzo meal, parsley, dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper.
    1¼ cups matzo meal, ¼ cup parsley, 2 tablespoon fresh dill, ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Use a spoon to scrape the schmaltz (3 tbsp) from the surface of the chilled broth. Work the schmaltz (or oil if no schmaltz) into the matzo mixture until incorporated (you can use your fingers to do this). Remove the remaining congealed fat on the surface of the broth and discard.
    3 tablespoon schmaltz
  • Stir in the chicken broth (½ cup), and then the egg yolks.
    ½ cup chicken broth
  • Now, use a wooden spatula to fold in half of the egg whites into the mixture.
  • Gently fold in the remaining whites until fully incorporated.
  • Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Make the Soup

  • Heat the broth over medium heat on the stove until heated through.
  • Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the carrots. Sprinkle a couple pinches of salt over the carrots. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
    2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 3 medium carrots, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • Pour the warm broth into the Dutch oven or skillet with the carrots.
  • With dampened fingers, gently form chilled matzo mixture into 1 to 2-inch balls (they will expand as they cook), and then gently drop them 1 at a time into the simmering broth.
  • Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.
  • Serve hot in soup bowls and garnish with dill sprigs.
    sprigs of dill

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 
When you chill your homemade chicken broth, you'll be awarded with schmaltz. As the broth chills in the fridge, the fat will rise to the top and congeal. This is chicken schmaltz! If you don't make the broth from scratch, then you can substitute the schmaltz with olive oil or softened butter. 
The broth and the roasted chicken can be made several days before preparing the soup. 
Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for up to one week and it freezes beautifully for several months. Simply reheat on the stove over medium heat until simmering and heated through. 

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 2111mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4105IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

POST UPDATE: This was originally published in April 2015, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography and a fabulous new video in April 2024!

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Comments

  1. kirti singh says

    April 03, 2018 at 12:18 am

    5 stars
    This lovely matzo balls are really alluring. They way you made this is exceptional. I will be happy to make this at home for my family. Thanks for sharing ingredients.

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      April 04, 2018 at 4:46 pm

      Thanks, Kirti! We love this soup very much!! Hope you give it a try! Best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
5 from 1 vote

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An overhead view of a shallow white soup bowl filled with homemade matzo ball soup with chicken and carrots and several sprigs of fresh dill.

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