Recipe: Vegan Matzah Ball Soup

As a child of mixed religions, my mother brought her culture to all special family days. This meant that I grew up having matzah ball soup on Hanukkah and Thanksgiving (and Christmas and Easter). Matzah ball soup was and continues to be something that comforts me when I'm sick, connects me with my mother, and links me to my family's history. When I went vegan, I knew I had to make a version of my grandmother's special recipe. After the "once in a lifetime" event of Hanukkah falling on Thanksgiving, it seemed only right to share it. Enjoy, shalom, and thanks!

Matzah Ball Soup

Broth Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 large carrots, cleaned well but not peeled
• 6 large celery stalks
• 1 medium to large white onion
• small bunch of fresh dill
• 3-4 fresh garlic cloves
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions: 

Dice the veggies, dill, and garlic.

Boil a half gallon of water then turn to medium.

Add in all the diced veggies and spices.

Simmer for 6-8 hours (longer is better) adding water every hour or so.

Salt and pepper to taste, then add olive oil.

Optional: You can also use a slow cooker.

Matzah Ball Recipe

Ingredients:

• Egg Replacer and water (see below) 
• 2 tablespoons oil (I prefer olive oil but vegetable or canola will work fine)
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup matzah meal

Directions:  

In a bowl, add 3 tablespoons of warm to hot water. Add 3 teaspoons of Egg Replacer. Whisk A LOT. Make it foamy! I like to use an immersion blender for this, but some good old-fashioned muscle will do it too.

Then add in the oil, salt, and matzah meal. Mix with a fork or your hands until uniform. Cover and put in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.

In the meantime, bring water to boil and then simmer it. It is VERY important to have no bubbles when you put in the matzah balls.

Take the matzah ball mix out of the fridge. Form small, 1 inch sized balls and then place in water with a spoon. Once all the balls are in the water, cover and let sit for 20-30 minutes. You want the matzah balls to be fluffy but not cooked too much or they will start to break apart.

Once they are done, remove from water with a slotted spoon. Do not try to pour them into a colander!

These matzah balls will stay good in the fridge for several days. Keep them separate from the broth and add for the last 3-5 minutes when you are heating up (but not boiling!) the broth.

This sounds complicated but it's not. The main pointer is that bubbles = bad for vegan matzah balls. These babies are delicious and have been family and friend approved. Enjoy!

 --Arielle Kilroy

--image by istockphoto/LauriPatterson