This recipe serves eight people generously (with two balls each) but could easily stretch to serve 16 smaller appetizer-size portions. We ordered the steps so that you could make the stock and matzo balls simultaneously, but if you prefer to break up the work, you can make the balls a couple of days ahead.
Recipe information
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
Matzo Dough
6
½
6
3
1½
¾
1½
Soup and Assembly
4
1½
6
2
2
1
3
1
1
Preparation
Matzo Dough
Step 1
Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until no streaks remain. Add schmaltz, broth, dill, salt, and pepper and whisk vigorously to combine. Add matzo meal and whisk until incorported. Cover and chill dough at least 35 minutes (this is essential as it gives the matzo meal time to hydrate).
Do Ahead: Dough can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Soup
Step 2
While the matzo dough is chilling, place a rack in top third of oven; preheat to 450°. Place chicken legs on a rimmed baking sheet or a large plate and sprinkle with 1½ tsp. salt; let sit at room temperature until ready to use. Spread chicken wings out on another rimmed baking sheet and roast until golden brown, 45–55 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer wings and any accumulated juices on baking sheet to a large pot. Add onions, celery, parsnip, chopped carrot, parsley, peppercorns, and 4 quarts water. Bring to a simmer and cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain simmer, until stock is slightly reduced, 40–50 minutes. Add chicken legs and simmer until legs are very tender, another 40–50 minutes.
Step 4
While the chicken legs cook, bring 3 qt. water to a boil in a medium pot. Add 3 Tbsp. salt. Using damp hands, divide matzo mixture into 16 pieces and roll each into about 1½”-diameter ball. It’s okay to really work the dough into balls; it won’t get dense—trust us, we tried! Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower matzo balls into pot. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer gently, checking occasionally and adjusting heat if boiling too rapidly, until balls are puffed and light in color, 30–40 minutes. Don’t remove them sooner than this; they will be dense in the middle if undercooked. Remove from heat and let sit while you finish the soup.
Step 5
Transfer chicken legs to a plate and let sit until cool enough to handle.
Step 6
Meanwhile, strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium pot; discard solids.
Step 7
Remove meat from legs; discard skin and bones. Tear meat into bite-size pieces and return to stock. Add remaining thinly sliced carrots. Return stock to a simmer and cook until carrots are just tender, about 4 minutes. Taste and season soup with more salt if needed.
Step 8
Using a slotted spoon, place 2 matzo balls in each bowl. Ladle soup over. Garnish with chopped dill and a few grinds of pepper.
Do Ahead: Matzo balls can be boiled 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container along with 2–3 Tbsp. cooking liquid and chill. To reheat, gently lower balls into soup and cook over medium-low until heated through, about 10 minutes.
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Reviews (47)
Back to TopThis is such a wonderful recipe! I have made stock from a leftover carcass and then followed this recipe with the made in advance stock. It works beautifully to drop the matzo balls right into the stock to cook them. In addition to the carrots in the soup, I like to add a little diced celery and onion. Highly recommend!
Meredith
Arlington, VA
11/28/2021
My father, a self-proclaimed matzo ball soup connoisseur and notorious complainer, said, "The matzo balls are really soft" and nothing else. That's some high praise, in all seriousness! They were indeed light, fluffy, and flavorful. With such a tepid review from my dad (which is his version of high praise), I'd make this recipe again.
JMK
CA
10/31/2021
I waited until the summer temp dropped to 72 Degrees so I could make soup! These matzo balls did not disappoint! They were light and flavorful. I pulsed matzos into meal, used duck fat and adjusted the salt level to my broth sodium levels and they were a summer soup sensation! I can’t wait for fall so I can work this into meal rotations.
Amanda I
Columbus Ohio
8/2/2021
I could not find Matzoh Meal, so I just pulsed some plain Matzoh in my food processor. It was maybe not quite fine enough, because when I mixed it with the eggs, oil, and broth it became a soupy mixture. In a panic I added plain bread crumbs, and it sort of thickened, but not at all the texture I was expecting. Made it exactly as written except for home blended meal.
A.m.
Brooklyn
5/5/2021
A labor of love! The broth is so good. So so so so good. My matzo balls took twice as long to cook according to her fineness in the video. The first time I made it, the matzo balls were too salty, so I cut the salt in the cooking liquid by half and they were perfect. This is the soup my (not handy in the kitchen) grandmother dreamed of from her childhood but never could recreate. I’m sad she’s gone and I can’t serve this to her. She would love it!
Brittney Lee
Arkansas
3/27/2021
Wow, what an incredible dish! It's certainly a "project" to make homemade stock, but it is truly worth it at the end. The depth of flavor was excellent and the way the entire dish comes together is really something special. I made the recipe exactly as written and really enjoyed the final product. It is a larger quantity of dill though, so if you're not a fan cut it back a bit. Also, if you don't have any schmaltz on hand, I'd recommend making the stock beforehand, chilling it, and then skimming the schmaltz off the top and using that in the matzo balls for that deep chicken-y flavor. 10/10 will be making again!
Garrick
Hanover, New Hampshire
4/13/2020
I just used a whole chicken in my stock and put it right in the pot, no roasting or anything. The stock came out phenomenal. We don't have any fresh dill and the grocery store was totally out so I added a teaspoon of dried dill to the stock as I was cooking the second batch of carrots in it, and garnished with lots of fresh parsley from the garden. Also added some celery after straining it--I know it may not be traditional but my mom likes a lot of vegetables in her soup. I will definitely return to this recipe for making chicken stock. The matzo balls were a little bit dense but I also tried to halve the recipe as eight servings sounded like a lot for just my mom and me! So I may have goofed up the proportions when I did that.
amber419
Los Angeles
4/13/2020