By Joan Nathan
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 3 hours’ cooling
- Rating
- 4(645)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Matzo balls spiced with ginger and nutmeg transform this hearty, earthy stew into a nourishing one-pot dinner, reminiscent of chicken and dumplings but much lighter and simpler to make. The process of chilling the broth and skimming the fat is the only part requiring much attention, but it also means that this meal can be made almost entirely ahead of time. You can use the skimmed fat to add more flavor to the matzo balls, but if you don’t have the time, just use olive oil instead, or buy some schmaltz. If you have leftover Thanksgiving turkey, you can also use it here in place of the chicken, and skip Step 1. Just add enough stock so that the stew is the consistency you like.
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1large onion, peeled and cut in large chunks
- 1celery stalk, sliced in chunks
- 1turnip or parsnip, scrubbed, halved if large, and cut in thick slices
- Salt
- 1cut-up chicken with bones (about 4 pounds)
- 2carrots, peeled and cut in thick rounds
- 1cup fresh or frozen peas
- 2tablespoons chopped parsley or dill, for serving
- 4large eggs, beaten
- 2tablespoons schmaltz (from the stew) or vegetable oil
- ¼cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1cup matzo meal
- ¼teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 2tablespoons finely chopped parsley, dill or cilantro
- Coarse kosher salt and black pepper
For the Stew
For the Matzo Balls
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
672 calories; 44 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 46 grams protein; 1097 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Start the stew: Set a large (5-quart) heavy pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and then the onion, celery and turnip, and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cover with 5 cups of water, or enough to almost cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and simmer for about 30 minutes, skimming any scum that rises. Cool, cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours, but ideally overnight. Scrape off and reserve 2 tablespoons chicken fat from the surface of the soup for the matzo ball mix. Freeze any remaining fat for another use. (You can substitute 2 tablespoons vegetable oil if you prefer.)
Step
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Meanwhile, make the matzo ball mix (at least 3 hours before serving): Stir together the eggs, schmaltz or oil, stock, matzo meal, nutmeg, ginger and parsley in a large bowl until well mixed. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours, or overnight.
Step
3
About 45 minutes before serving, finish the stew: Using your hands, break the chicken pieces into large-bite chunks, removing skin and bones as you go. Put the chicken back into the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the carrots and peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step
4
Add heavy spoonfuls of the matzo ball mix to the top of the soup. (You should have about 18 balls.) Cover and simmer until the matzo balls are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve topped with fresh dill or parsley.
Ratings
4
out of 5
645
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Cooking Notes
DrPat
Hanukah 3 nights after Thanksgiving? For heavens sake, this needs to be a one-pot TURKEY and matzah ball dish! Turkey broth and leftover turkey already available, just add carrots, celery or whatever veggies and make Nathan’s matzah balls. Onward!
Maria Elena
Can you pulverize regular matzo instead of buying matzo meal or are they different things?
a curtis
when I don't have the time to wait until the fat rises to the top, I take an ice cube in a paper towel and run it across the top of the soup. If you do this a couple of time you will remove a lot of the fat. I promise.
Joan Nathan
You can use breadcrumbs.
Mary
WAY over cooking on the veggies that get cooked with the chicken. I stopped the simmering after 25 min and added some ice cubes and the large chunks of turnip are still mush and the broth tastes more like turnips than chicken. It’s frustrating when food writers don’t take the time to test their recipes more carefully. I highly recommend adding veggies after the chicken is done and the matzo balls go in.
Clancy
Solid recipe. Added 1/4 pound of sliced sh*take mushrooms to the day 1 broth at the same time as the water.And because the carrots still had the green tops attached, chopped those up and used in lieu of the dill or parsley.
Julie Steinberg
Yum! I serve matzo ball soup as an appetizer with consommé, and love the idea of it as meal. A little like chicken in the pot, but the matzo balls were spiced and seasonal. A few changes; cooked the broth using a whole chicken in my pressure cooker for 25 min. I also used my gravy separator for the chicken broth and added Corn starch. Discarded the original veggies, added a ton of rough chopped carrots and onions, and pressure cooked for 4 min. Next time I will double the matzo balls.
GC
Hi! Try asking at a synagogue near you. I lived in Australia and this was one way to obtain sometimes-elusive Jewish ingredients. They are also usually available in markets in Sydney and Melbourne. Finally, just order on the internet! Good luck!
Afi
Didn't she say that in the description?
CT Family
The key to flavorful broth is long cooking. I cook a hearty chicken soup, which doesn’t differ from this stew except for the peas and ginger, for 6 to 8 hours! And if you don’t want to spend time skimming the soup, just take off as much of the skin before you cook it.
Jenna
This was a delicious variation on matzoh ball soup, but it wasn't "stew". Still, it got my hopes up, so in an attempt to thicken it and make it more stew-like, I made a blonde roux and incorporated it into the broth.Followed the recipe otherwise. It was flavorful and comforting.A definite repeat!Five stars
Debra
The matzoh balls with ginger and nutmeg were fabulous! I used home-made turkey stock, let it boil, added sliced carrots, celery, onion and parsnip. 20 minutes later I added shredded chicken leftover from a roaster chicken, and the peas. Once boiling again I added the matzoh ball dough (made with parsley as I couldn't find dill). 20 minutes later, all was done and it was sooo delicious!!
Carol
I gave this 4 instead of 5 stars only because of the veggies. You really need to strain them out (and toss) after you make the chicken stock because they are completely mushy. Add newly chunked carrots, onion, and celery when reheating the stock and chicken right before adding the matzo balls. The veg is cooked perfectly by the time the matzo balls cook for 15 minutes. Other than that I thought the flavors were amazing! I only had dried dill but it worked perfectly with some fresh parsley.
cb
Rich stock is what makes this exceptional. That and not cooking the veggies into mush, e. g., add the peas just before serving.
Happily Fed
Used bone broth and added some additional water. Very happy with the recipe.
LauraC
Separating the egg whites and beating them until they hold soft peaks and folding them into the matzah mixture makes for much lighter and tender balls. My Dad said they were better than his mother made!
Carol
I gave this 4 instead of 5 stars only because of the veggies. You really need to strain them out (and toss) after you make the chicken stock because they are completely mushy. Add newly chunked carrots, onion, and celery when reheating the stock and chicken right before adding the matzo balls. The veg is cooked perfectly by the time the matzo balls cook for 15 minutes. Other than that I thought the flavors were amazing! I only had dried dill but it worked perfectly with some fresh parsley.
Bonnie
I loved the flavor of the stock. A very comforting soup/stew. However, the matzo balls were hard and dense. Not light and fluffy as I hoped. I followed the recipe, so not sure why this happened. Anyone else have this issue? Any tips for a lighter matzo ball?
Bonnie
Did you strain the broth and then add back the carrots? No instructions on this.
Carol
I strained the veg used to make the broth and then added freshly chunked carrots, onions and celery before adding the matzo balls. They were all cooked perfectly in 15 minutes.
Bridget J
Very, very bland. Disappointing.
Adrienne Alpert
Do you remove the onion, celery and parsnip before finishing the soup? The recipe does not say. But the rough chop would indicate that you do.
Susan K.
When I was raising my family I put Matzoh Balls in everything! I cut up ,,sautéed with onion ..add a little paprika for color and add to green beans…or any vegetables..and your kids will gobble up! When I visit them now as adults I laugh of the seeing matzoh balls in their children’s green beans!!
Debra
The matzoh balls with ginger and nutmeg were fabulous! I used home-made turkey stock, let it boil, added sliced carrots, celery, onion and parsnip. 20 minutes later I added shredded chicken leftover from a roaster chicken, and the peas. Once boiling again I added the matzoh ball dough (made with parsley as I couldn't find dill). 20 minutes later, all was done and it was sooo delicious!!
Mary
What a great looking meal! A question the suggested celery amount: The recipe suggests one stalk of celery--which some people interpret to mean one stick of celery but others to mean the whole thing you buy at the grocery store. What would you all recommend?
Debra
Just one stick is meant, but I did use 2 because I like celery. Adding the entire thing would be waaaaay too much celery.
rick
weak flavor
Shiksa
I made great batch of Matzo balls this weekend by whipping the egg whites first. they came out light and fluffy! I also got a wild hair and stuffed them too. Would certainly do this again as they held up just fine and were super juicy...but I am probably going hell since I stuffed them with pork
Barbara
Disappointed beyond belief. I have a pot of what looks like a casserole. The matzo balls are tasty. No broth like in the picture. I don’t know what I did wrong but this recipe is not for me. Trying to figure out how to salvage this dish.
Susan G.
I made this twice. The first time, it didn't have enough flavor, and the matzo balls were leaden. So this time, I put lots of minced garlic in with the onions and celery and cooked the chicken in 3 cups broth/2 cups water instead of just water. I added all the usual poultry seasonings (thyme, sage, bay leaf) and - I am not ashamed to admit it - used a mix for the matzo balls. It was wonderful! Served it last night with challah and rugelach for dessert. Merry Christmas - and Shabbat Shalom!
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