Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup****

Ingredients:

Soup

  • ½ lb carrots (slice to 2" in chunks)
  • ½ lb celery (slice to ½" chunks, with leaves)
  • 1 onion (rinsed, quartered, with skin)
  • 1 leek (sliced, rinsed, white & light green)
  • 1 parsnip
  • 1 bunch dill (plus 2 tbsp chopped divided)
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 6 cloves (whole)
  • 1 pinch saffron threads (do not substitute)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)

Matzo Balls

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp seltzer water
  • ½ cup matzo meal
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp garlic powder
  • ⅛ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tbsp dill (fresh)
  • 1 pinch saffron threads

Instructions:

  1. Combine all soup ingredients in a large pot with 1 tbsp kosher salt.
  2. Cover ingredients with 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat to medium simmer. Cook for 60-90 minutes till the liquid reduces by 1/3.
  4. While the stock is cooking, make the matzo balls. Whisk eggs in a small mixing bowl with vegetable oil and seltzer water. Use a fork to stir in the matzo meal, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and chopped dill to make a thick batter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. While the batter is chilling, in a second pot combine 3 quarts water, a pinch of saffron and 1 tbsp salt. Bring to a simmer, stir to dissolve the salt. Keep  hot until the matzo ball mixture is fully chilled.
  6. Place a small dish of cold water beside the pot of saffron water. Take the matzo ball batter out of the refrigerator. Bring the saffron water to a simmer. Wet your hands and roll the matzo ball batter into walnut-sized balls, then gently drop them into the simmering saffron water. Wet your hands between each ball; this makes forming them easier.
  7. When all of the matzo balls are in the water, bring back to a low bubbling simmer and cover. Let the matzo balls simmer for 30-35 minutes, covered for the first 30 minutes. No peeking! Let the matzo balls simmer until they're cooked through. When they are fully cooked, turn off the heat and keep the matzo balls in the water until ready to serve. If you won't be serving within an hour, remove the matzo balls from the pot with a slotted spoon and reserve (so they don't get mushy and fall apart).
  8. When the vegetable stock liquid has reduced by a third, strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl.
  9. Separate out the carrots and celery from the cooked vegetables and herbs.
  10. Combine the stock, carrots and celery back to into a pot along with 1 tbsp chopped dill. Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep the stock warm till ready to serve.

Servings: 8

Source: http://theshiksa.com/2014/04/09/vegetarian-matzo