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Vegetarian matzah ball soup
Photo credit Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox

Vegetarian Matzah Ball Soup

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4.2 from 6 reviews

This comforting vegetarian matzah ball soup recipe is perfect for Friday night dinners, seder night or whenever you need a pick-me-up.

  • Total Time: 1 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 16 fresh shiitake mushrooms, thoroughly washed, stems and caps separated and caps sliced
  • 11 1½ tsp salt, to taste
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 3 medium carrots, cut into chunks
  • 1 large parsnip, cut into chunks
  • 1 yellow onion, unpeeled, quartered
  • 1 red onion, unpeeled, quartered
  • 3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
  • 1 head of garlic, unpeeled, cut in half width wise
  • 1 bunch of fresh dill
  • 1 bunch of parsley

For the matzah balls:

  • 1 pack of matzah ball mix, prepared according to directions

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot.
  2. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Add the sliced shiitake mushroom caps, stir well and cook for another minute.
  3. Add 10 cups water, salt, turmeric and pepper (don’t add all the salt at once here, you can adjust to taste later).
  4. Place the shiitake stems, carrots, parsnip, onions, celery, garlic, dill and parsley in a cheese cloth. Tie it well with kitchen twine and place it in the soup pot. Bring to a boil and let it cook for 5 minutes.
  5. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 1 hour. The broth should be ready and should be flavorful. If it’s not, continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes.
  6. While soup cooks, prepare the matzah balls following the package instructions.
  7. Remove cheesecloth from the soup and place it in a colander with a bowl underneath. Squeeze as much liquid as you can from the cheesecloth and pour it into the soup pot (the liquid will be hot, so use a wooden spoon or another utensil). Discard vegetables.
  8. Prepare matzah ball according to directions on the box, and chill in fridge for 30 minutes. Or, you can make a homemade version like this.
  9. Place the matzah balls directly into the broth and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
  • Author: Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Ashkenazi