Kale Matzo Ball Soup Recipe

Just when you thought we'd exhausted all possible kale uses

Matzo ball soup may be typically associated with Passover, but cold season is soup season, so there's no reason you can't cozy up with a bowl now—especially when it has the added bonus of kale, courtesy of Dirt Candy chef Amanda Cohen. "A super food (kale) meets Jewish food (matzoh balls) to form a Super-Jewish Food," Cohen, who's known for her magical touch with vegetables, says. The stock, which Cohen suggests making from scratch, is easier to make than the long ingredient list suggests. If you're short on time though, store-bought stock will work.

Recipe adapted from Amanda Cohen, Dirt Candy, New York NY

Kale Matzo Ball Soup
3.1 from 41 ratings
Get this recipe for kale matzo ball soup from chef Amanda Cohen, which uses homemade broth and dumplings for a cozy winter dish.
Prep Time
25
minutes
Cook Time
45
minutes
Servings
4
servings
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Ingredients
  • For the Stock
  • 1 cup diced white onion
  • ¼ cup chopped garlic
  • ½ cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped fennel
  • ¼ cup chopped ginger
  • ¼ cup sesame seeds
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 4 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons coriander
  • 1 tablespoon green peppercorns
  • 2 pieces of lime zest
  • ¼ cup chopped lemongrass
  • 1 cup diced potato
  • For the Kale Matzoh Balls
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • ¼ cup seltzer or water
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons puréed kale
  • 1 cup matzo meal
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • For the Kale Broth
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • ¼ cup puréed kale
  • Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
  1. Make the stock: Combine all the ingredients in a pot and cover with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and strain.
  2. Make the matzo balls: In a bowl, combine the eggs with the seltzer, the kale purée and the oil. In another bowl, stir together the matzo meal with the baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
  3. Using wet hands, and re-wetting hands as necessary, form the matzo ball mixture into 1-inch balls and add to a simmering pot of water for about 20 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, make the kale broth: Heat the oil and garlic in a pot and add 4 cups of the stock. Once it comes to a simmer, add the kale purée and season with salt to taste.
  5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer matzo balls to bowls (you should have at least 3 per bowl) and serve.
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