Grandma Rifka’s Matza Ball Soup with Ancient Grain Matza
While I am not religious per se, making matzah is certainly a spiritual act for me. The fact that this type of bread has been prepared for thousands of years makes it an act that connects us to so many generations of our ancestors in such a profound way.
Matza is simple. You don’t even need salt to make it – just flour and water. Matza can be made with any type of wheat, barely, rye or oats, although wheat is the most common. In Biblical times, matza would have been made mostly from wheat and barley. Bread was used as both a plate and as an eating utensil, and likely would have been served soft and freshly baked.
Any type of wheat you use will work, but each will bring its unique flavor and texture. Emmer, for example, makes a darker matza. It’s a great way to become really acquainted with the properties of different heats, as there is nothing to complicate the matter. Once the water is baked out, all you have is the toasted wheat.
Matza is traditionally eaten at passover, but you can enjoy it anytime plain or with hummus, or grind it to make a delicious and nourishing matza ball soup .
These matza balls are as delicious and satisfying as the perfect meatball, and take chicken soup to the next level. Matza ball soup is always a welcome treat and provides a sense of connection and place in our lives, like a warm hug from your grandma!
- Yield: 2 bowls 1x
Ingredients
Matza
- 14 oz flour
- 1 Cup water
Matza Ball Soup
- 3/4 cup matza meal
- 3 eggs
- 6 tbsp smaltz (chicken fat), butter or vegetable oil
- 1/6 cup chicken stock or water
- 1 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley (use half chopped stems, they add texture and moisture)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (microplaning whole nutmeg is best)
- 1/6 cup finely diced onion
Instructions
Matza
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Mix dough and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Portion dough into five or six rounds. I like to use a ⅓ cup scoop.
- Line several sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If you don’t have any of these, you can dust your pans heavily with flour.
- Take your rounded portions of dough and flatten them into rounds, using plenty of flour for dusting both sides so they don’t stick. Ancient wheats make stickier dough than modern wheats, so use extra flour.
- Do any final rolling to get them evenly thin, about 1/16th inch, and load into the oven.
- Bake until crisp and nicely browned, around 45 minutes.
Matza Ball Soup
To make matza ball soup from matza, you will need to grind your matza into meal or flour. I process my matza in the food processor until it’s coarsely ground, then I run it through my grain mill to make flour. It’s a bit of work, but I wouldn’t include it here if it didn’t result in something truly special.
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Place mixture in the refrigerator to chill for 1-3 hours.
- Scoop golf ball sized pieces and roll between your hands until round.
- Place balls into gently simmering chicken stock that has been seasoned.
- Cook until desired tenderness has been reached, about 30-60 minutes.
- Serve immediately and freeze any extra for later use.
Notes
Be sure not to overbake your matza, which could give your matza balls a dense texture and burnt flavor.