Easy Chicken Matzo Ball Soup for Busy Cooks
Slow Cooker Cuts Prep Time, Just in Time for Passover
Mar 10, 2009
Chicken matzo ball soup is a popular Jewish dish, often served at Friday night dinners and during the spring holiday of Passover. By using a slow cooker and other shortcuts, a cook can make a soup that tastes completely homemade, without hours of effort.
Using Canned Chicken Broth to Deepen Flavor
Many good Jewish cooks, when pressed, will confess they deepen flavor of their "from scratch" chicken matzo ball soup by adding some canned chicken broth or a chicken bouillon cube to the soup. The key to saving time but avoiding a processed taste is to use two parts broth to one part water, then add other enrichments.
There are plenty of chicken broths to choose from in supermarkets. Those who want to make the soup kosher for Passover can find canned broth under the Manischewitz brand, or locate other brands listed in a kosher product website .
Chicken Matzo Ball Soup in the Slow Cooker
Using the slow cooker adds depth to chicken soup. Traditional recipes require the cook to stand over a boiling soup pot, skimming the white foam that comes from the simmering chicken parts, then cooking the soup for another hour.
When using the slow cooker, the cook puts all the ingredients in the crockpot, then walks away. Hours later, the result is soup stock that has a long-simmered taste, no standing and skimming required. Note: Those following Passover rules will need to purchase a slow cooker and designate it for Passover use in order to make this dish during the holiday, as slow cookers can not be made kosher for Passover.
Save Time by Making Matzo Balls Early
Matzo balls are made of matzo meal, seasonings, eggs and oil that is mixed into a dough. The dough is refrigerated, then shaped into balls and simmered. Store-bought matzo ball mix, which is already seasoned, is a good time saver. Many chicken matzo ball soup afficionados like fluffy matzo balls with a velvety texture. To achieve this, the cook should handle the dough gently, and simmer the balls for at least 30 minutes, disregarding the time specified in the package directions.
Using Freezer, Chicken Breasts to Save More Time
Many people enjoy a couple of bowls of chicken matzo ball soup in one sitting, particularly during Passover, when many regular foods are prohibited. The following recipe can be made in double portions and frozen. The recipe uses skinless chicken breasts, rather than mixed chicken parts, which alleviates the need to skim fat off the soup. Bone-in chicken breasts or other pieces also can be used; this saves money, but will also result in a soup that should be skimmed of fat, which adds to the prep time.
Slow Cooker Chicken Matzo Ball Soup:
- 8-9 cups canned chicken broth
- 4-5 cups cold water
- 2-3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (bone-in breasts or other chicken parts OK)
- 2-3 carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks of celery with leaves, chopped (do not omit)
- 1-2 pinches of dried dill weed
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- matzo ball mix (version that includes soup stock)
Directions:
- Mix matzo ball dough according to package directions, cover tightly and refrigerate
- Add broth, water, chicken, vegetables, dill and pepper to slow cooker. Set cooker on "Low" and simmer all day.
- About an hour before meal, fill Dutch oven 2/3 full of water, add stock mix that comes in matzo ball mix, heat to boiling. Meanwhile, gently shape matzo balls. Drop into boiling water, cover pot, turn heat to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes
- Strain soup into large bowl, then return to slow cooker
- Remove matzo balls with slotted spoon, add to soup in slow cooker and keep on "Warm" setting until serving.
With a crockpot and judicious use of purchased broth, a luscious chicken matzo ball soup can be whipped up with little hands-on preparation time.
For another easy twist on Jewish cooking, see Doctored Up Gefilte Fish
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