Soups & Stews

Serving

Passover Matzo Ball Soup

Name: Passover Matzo Ball Soup
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Soups & Stews
Ingredients: 4 large eggs; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1/4 cup chicken broth; 1 cup matzo meal; 1 tsp salt, divided; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 8 cups chicken broth; 2 carrots, sliced; 2 celery stalks, sliced; 1 small onion, diced; 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Classic Ashkenazi seder starter: fluffy matzo balls simmered in golden, herb-flecked chicken broth — a Passover-table essential.

90 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

31 min prep

50 min cook

Contains common allergens

celery Egg Wheat

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Instructions

6 steps

1
In a bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and 1/4 cup chicken broth together.
2
Stir in the matzo meal, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper until just combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3
Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Wet your hands and roll the matzo mixture into 12 golf-ball-sized balls.
4
Drop the balls into the boiling water, cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30-40 minutes until they float and are cooked through.
5
Meanwhile, in a separate large pot, bring the 8 cups of chicken broth to a simmer with the carrots, celery, onion, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
6
Stir the fresh dill into the soup, then ladle the broth and vegetables over the matzo balls in serving bowls.

Passover Matzo Ball Soup — plated and served — Serving moment. How Passover Matzo Ball Soup looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

65/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 84

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 45

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

180

Calories

10 g

Protein

7 g

Carbs

13 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Matzo ball soup comes from Ashkenazi Jewish cooking, where dumplings called kneidlach became a natural fit for Passover because they use matzo meal instead of regular flour. At many seder tables, the soup arrives early in the meal: clear chicken broth, tender vegetables, and matzo balls that can be light and fluffy or firm and dense depending on the cook.

Listahan note

This version keeps the broth simple and lets the texture of the matzo balls do the work. The separate simmering step keeps the broth clearer and gives the dumplings room to puff without breaking apart in the serving soup.

Technique cues

Chilling the matzo mixture matters because matzo meal keeps absorbing liquid as it rests. If you shape it too soon, the balls can spread or cook up unevenly.
Use a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, once the matzo balls are in the pot. A rolling boil can knock them around and make the outside ragged before the center is cooked.
Cook the matzo balls in salted water and serve them with the broth afterward. This keeps the soup from turning cloudy and lets the broth taste clean and chicken-forward.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Mix and chill the matzo batter first, then chop the carrots, celery, onion, and dill while it firms up.
Make-ahead: Cook the matzo balls and broth ahead, then store them separately so the dumplings do not keep drinking up the soup.
Leftover move: Slice leftover matzo balls into thick rounds and warm them in broth with extra dill for a quick second bowl.
Cleanup rhythm: Rinse the matzo mixing bowl before the batter dries, then use the simmering time to clear the cutting board and knife.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Large eggs

Binder and lift

Purpose: Eggs hold the matzo meal together and help the dumplings puff as they cook.

Handling: Whisk them well with the oil and broth before adding the dry ingredients so the mixture hydrates evenly.

Adaptation: Using fewer eggs makes a heavier matzo ball, while adding extra egg changes the mixture enough that it may need more matzo meal.

Vegetable oil

Tenderizing fat

Purpose: Oil keeps the matzo balls moist and gives them a softer bite without adding a strong flavor.

Handling: Whisk it fully into the eggs and broth before stirring in the matzo meal.

Adaptation: Rendered chicken fat gives a deeper, more old-school flavor, while olive oil adds a noticeable fruity note.

Chicken broth

Soup base and dumpling liquid

Purpose: A little broth in the matzo mixture seasons the dumplings from within, while the larger amount carries the vegetables and dill.

Handling: Use the 1/4 cup in the batter cold or room temperature, then keep the 8 cups at a steady simmer for the soup.

Adaptation: A rich homemade broth gives the clearest chicken flavor; a lighter boxed broth benefits from the onion, carrot, celery, and dill.

Matzo meal

Dumpling structure

Purpose: Matzo meal absorbs the egg, oil, and broth to form the classic Passover dumpling texture.

Handling: Stir only until combined, then chill so the meal can hydrate before shaping.

Adaptation: A finer matzo meal makes smoother balls; a coarser one gives a slightly grainier, more rustic bite.

Carrots, celery, and onion

Broth vegetables

Purpose: They give the soup sweetness, aroma, and the familiar chicken-soup base around the matzo balls.

Handling: Slice the carrots and celery evenly and dice the onion small enough to soften in the 20-minute simmer.

Adaptation: Leek can stand in for some of the onion for a softer flavor, and parsnip adds a sweeter Eastern European note.

Fresh dill

Finishing herb

Purpose: Dill adds the bright green, herbal finish that keeps the broth from tasting flat.

Handling: Chop it just before adding and stir it in at the end so it stays fragrant.

Adaptation: Parsley is milder and cleaner, while a small amount of dried dill should go in earlier so it has time to soften.

Technique notes

Wet your hands before rolling each batch. The mixture is sticky by design, and water gives smoother balls without packing them too tightly.
Keep the balls close to golf-ball size because they expand as they simmer. Oversized ones can look done on the outside while staying dense in the center.
Add the dill after the vegetables are tender. Long simmering dulls its flavor and turns the broth more grassy than fresh.

Ingredient swaps

Richer holiday style: Use rendered chicken fat in place of vegetable oil for a more traditional savory flavor and a slightly silkier texture.
Clearer broth path: Cook the matzo balls exactly as written in a separate pot of salted water, then transfer them to bowls before ladling over the soup.
Lighter-tasting finish: Use parsley with part of the dill if you want a gentler herb note that still reads like classic chicken soup.
Holiday pantry direction: Choose matzo meal, broth, oil, and seasonings according to the Passover standards your household follows.

Serve alongside

Chopped liver with matzo
Gefilte fish with horseradish
Roasted asparagus with lemon
Charoset with crisp apple
Concord grape juice
Dry white wine
Sparkling water with lemon

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate the broth and matzo balls in separate sealed containers once cooled so the balls keep their shape.
Reheat the broth at a gentle simmer, then add the matzo balls just long enough to warm through without breaking them up.
Freeze the broth on its own for the best texture; thaw overnight and make a fresh batch of matzo balls when serving.

Equipment

Large mixing bowl
Two large pots with lids
Slotted spoon
Ladle

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