Matzo ball soup is an Ashkenazi Jewish classic, usually served and enjoyed during Passover. This recipe requires only 5 ingredients and is accessible for any level of cook. Plus, I’m sharing instructions for how to make matzo balls either fluffy or dense in texture, depending on your preference!

Three bowls of matzo ball soup on a marble countertop.

🌟 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Consistent matzo balls every time: The matzo balls are cooked in water instead of stock. Different broths and stock have different ingredients in them. This changes the density of the liquid, which changes the cooking time. Cooking in water produces a consistent matzo ball.
  • Fluffy, airy matzo balls: I love a fluffy matzo ball, and this recipe delivers 1000%. I add sparkling water or seltzer to produce an extra pillowy matzo ball.
  • Customize your broth: You can use your favorite, preferably homemade, stock, bone broth, or soup. I use homemade bone broth, but you can use whatever you have in the freezer or even bouillon. I use this broth when I make kreplach, too.

🧾 Ingredients in This Recipe

Ingredients for matzo ball soup with text labels.
  • Matzo meal – Matzo meal is finely ground matzah bread. If you can’t find matzo meal, you can break up matzah and place it in a food processor. Pulse until it’s evenly ground.
  • Duck or chicken fat (shmaltz) – a more traditional ingredient for authentic matzo ball soup, so you can use it or substitute the fat with vegetable oil. I’ve never made it with coconut oil personally, but I have researched that this works, too.
  • Sparkling water – or seltzer. Aerates the matzo balls and makes them light and fluffy. If it isn’t Passover, you can use baking powder, instead.
  • Stock or broth – You can use your favorite store-bought version or a homemade one. I use Homemade Chicken Stock in this recipe.
  • Eggs – These act as a binder to hold the matzo ball mixture together.
  • Salt – Use whatever salt you have readily available. I like to use kosher or sea salt.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

☁️ Fluffy Matzo Balls or Dense Matzo Balls? You Choose.

I’m team fluffy, but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Making one versus the other is simple. Leave out the sparkling water from the recipe for dense matzo balls that sink in the soup.

Add the sparkling water if you want the fluffy matzo balls that float. You can take the fluffy matzo balls to the next level by folding in some beaten egg whites.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Matzo Ball Soup

Move aside Manischewitz! You can make your own warm, comforting version right at home.

Scrambled eggs in a glass bowl with a fork.
  • Whisk the 4 eggs with 1/4 cup duck fat, schmaltz, or vegetable oil in a medium bowl.
Hands mixing a beige mixture with a fork.
  • Add 1 cup of matzo meal, 1/4 cup sparkling water or seltzer, and season with salt. Mix with a fork. Refrigerate this mixture for 30 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed.
Matzo ball on a hand over a glass bowl with matzo ball mixture.
  • In the meantime, bring a pot of water to boil in a large pot. (Not the stock/broth.) With wet hands, roll the mixture into ping-pong-sized balls, approximately 1.5 inches in diameter, and drop them into the boiling water.
Spider spatula with a matzo ball over a pot of matzo balls.
  • Lower to a simmer, and simmer the balls fully covered for 20 minutes. It’s ok to peek at them, but do not cook them uncovered.

Wet Your Hands Before Rolling Matzo Balls

This makes it much easier to roll them and minimizes mess on your hands.

Large pot of chicken stock next to matzo balls in a small bowl.
  • In the meantime, heat your stock or broth.
Matzo ball soup in three white bowls.
  • Once cooked, remove the matzo balls from the water. Serve the strained matzo balls in the heated stock or broth. Top with garnishesmes of your choice, inspiration below!

🥣 Soup Base Variations & Garnishes

You can customize matzo balls by adding vegetables to the broth, switching up the soup base, and adding garnishes.

Soup Broth Base Variations

  • Homemade Bone Broth – This is what I use most often for this soup, as I usually have it in the freezer. You can also use chicken broth.
  • Dashi – a Japanese broth made from kombu seaweed. I use a version made with Bonito.
  • Tea – Hear me out! I love adding Genmaicha tea to a plain bone broth. It adds a nutty, earthy flavor that is fantastic.
  • Ab Goosht – Persian “meat water” made by adding salted meat, onions, spices, and dried limes to water and simmering over low heat. I’m working on a recipe for the blog and will share it soon!

Soup Garnish Ideas

  • Fresh herbs like dill or cilantro
  • Freshly grated ginger and scallions
  • Chili oil
  • Chopped roasted or steamed vegetables
  • Furikake
Matzo balls in soup with dried green topping.

⭐️ How to Store Matzo Ball Soup

Strain the matzo balls from the boiling water, let them cool down to room temperature, and keep them in a sealable container in the refrigerator. Keep the soup broth separate in a sealed jar or container. I like to make a big batch of each and enjoy them all throughout Passover! Be sure to check out all these other kosher for Passover recipes and this guide to what is kosher for Passover.

🥘 Crockpot Matzo Ball Soup

For ease of serving and to keep the soup warm, you may favor using a crockpot to make the matzo soup. My advice is to use the crockpot to heat the soup broth first without the matzo balls. Then, cook the matzo balls separately in boiling water and serve with the hot broth ladled in. You could place the cooked matzo balls in the crockpot for serving and to keep warm if desired, but only just prior to serving.

🍴More Jewish Recipes for Passover

It’s the time of year that we need amazing kosher for Passover recipes. Here are some of my favorites:

I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to.

Three bowls of matzo ball soup.
Author: Candice Walker

Matzo Ball Soup

5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Save
Matzo ball soup is an Ashkenazi Jewish classic, usually served and enjoyed during Passover. This recipe requires only 5 ingredients and is accessible for any level of cook.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Resting Time30 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main, Soup
Cuisine: Jewish
Diet: Kosher, Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Calories: 326kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup matzo meal
  • 1/4 cup shmaltz chicken fat, duck fat, or vegetable oil
  • salt I use 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, but season to your taste.
  • 1/4 cup sparkling water or seltzer
  • 4 cups chicken stock or bone broth

Instructions

  • Whisk the 4 eggs with 1/4 cup duck fat, schmaltz, or vegetable oil in a medium bowl.
  • Add 1 cup of matzo meal and 1/4 cup sparkling water or seltzer, and season with salt. Mix with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed.
  • Bring a pot of water to boil in a large pot. (Not the stock/broth.)
  • With wet hands, roll the mixture into ping-pong sized balls, approximately 1.5 inches in diameter and drop them into the boiling water.
  • Lower to a simmer, and simmer covered for 20 minutes. It's ok to peek, but do not cook them uncovered.
  • In the meantime, heat your stock/broth.

Notes

If you want dense matzo balls that sink, leave out the sparkling water. If you want the fluffy ones that float, add the sparkling water. If it isn’t Passover, you can also use baking powder. 
Strain the extra matzo balls from the boiling water, let them cool to room temperature, and keep them in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Soup Base Variations:
  • Homemade Bone Broth – what I use most often, and usually have in the freezer.
  • Dashi – a Japanese broth made from kombu seaweed. I use a version made with bonito.
  • Miso – a simple, easy way to add flavor. You can add in scallions and ginger, too. Please note that miso is not kosher for Passover.
  • Tea – Hear me out! I love adding Genmaicha tea to a plain bone broth. It adds a nutty, earthy flavor that is fantastic.
  • Ab Goosht – Persian “meat water” made by adding salted meat, onions, spices, and dried limes to water and simmering over low heat. I’m working on a recipe for the blog and will share soon.
  • Furikake, though this option is also not kosher for Passover.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 1006mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 738IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

2 Comments

5 from 6 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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