No-Chicken Matzo Ball Soup (Pareve, Passover)
A kosher-for-Passover vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup recipe with a savory broth made of carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and herbs.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 10 persons
Ingredients
- For the Soup:
- ¼cup (60 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2medium onions (about 3/4 pound or 330 grams), trimmed and chopped
- 6medium carrots (about 1 pound or 450 grams), peeled, trimmed, and sliced into coins
- 4stalks celery (about 1/2 pound or 190 grams), trimmed and sliced
- 1parsnip (about 130 grams), peeled, trimmed, and sliced into coins
- 6cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 ½teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 1(10-ounce or 284-gram) package cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced)
- 1medium zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced into half-moons
- 8cups (1.89 liters) water
- Handful fresh dill fronds
- 1tablespoon frozen or dried basil, or 3 tablespoons fresh, chopped basil
- 1tablespoon sea salt, or kosher salt
- For Serving:
- 1bunch prepared matzo balls
Instructions
Step 1
Warm the oil in a large stockpot set over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and parsnip, and saute, taking care not to brown the vegetables, for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.Step 2
Add the garlic and ginger, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.Step 3
Add the mushrooms, and sauté until they release their juices and soften, about 5 minutes.Step 4
Add the zucchini and sauté 5 minutes more.Step 5
Add the water, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Stir in the dill, basil, and salt. Lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer gently for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the broth is golden-hued and flavorful.Step 6
Carefully strain the broth. You can do this by setting a large colander over a second soup pot, and slowly pouring the soup from the stockpot into the colander. (You can line the colander with cheesecloth if you want a very clear soup.)Step 7
Alternatively, use a large slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a colander set over a large bowl. Whichever method you choose, gently press the vegetables in the colander with the back of a spoon to extract any remaining broth from them, and return the extra broth to the pot.Step 8
If desired, spoon some of the carrots and/or parsnips back into the broth. The broth can be made 1 to 2 days in advance, and refrigerated, covered.Step 9
To serve: Bring the soup to a simmer, and add the prepared matzo balls. Simmer until the soup is hot and the matzo balls are heated through. Ladle into bowls and serve. Enjoy!