Herb Garden Matzo Ball Soup
Matzo ball soup gets a glow-up in this version by cookbook author Leah Koenig, with fresh parsley, dill, chives, and fennel fronds in the matzo balls themselves, plus more herbs, lemon zest, and edible flowers adding color and bright, spring flavors to each finished bowl of soup.
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Recipe Summary
Passover arrives on the cusp of spring, when the trees are bursting into their annual riot of fragrant buds and flowers. It is no wonder that Passover is also called chag ha'aviv, which translates from Hebrew to "spring holiday." With all loving respect to the heavy, brown, slow-cooked dishes of my Ashkenazi Jewish people, after a long winter, my tastebuds are crying out for all things green and bright.
For Jews hailing from Eastern Europe like my family does (my mother's parents were first-generation Russian and Lithuanian), Passover's classic dishes were shaped by the seasons. The trees outside may have been starting to bloom, but the garden was still bare, and the larder told the story of late winter. With limited produce and other ingredients available, it is no wonder why dishes like tzimmes (a root vegetable stew), starchy kugels made from potatoes or softened matzo flavored with browned onions, saucy braised pot roasts, and gefilte fish quenelles poached in fish stock and brightened with grated horseradish (another root vegetable), became de rigueur.
In my family, tradition is paramount, especially when it comes to holiday food. Eating familiar dishes offers a chance to connect to our history and heritage in a tangible way. I might be able to get away with skipping the gefilte fish, but if the matzo ball soup is missing? That transgression would hardly go unnoticed. And yet, respecting tradition does not have to mean forfeiting flavor or freshness.
This year, I plan to welcome spring to the Passover table with a collection of dishes that honor my family's roots (both figuratively and literally!), while celebrating the holiday's verdant potential. I'll dress up a platter of chicken roasted with leeks and potatoes with a zippy gremolata made from toasted pine nuts, garlic, and parsley. I will serve a gorgeous and colorful salad that takes late-winter produce like thinly shaved beet and carrot ribbons, and matches them with rounds of juicy clementine.
But my guests needn't fret, the chicken soup will be on the table. But our bowls of fragrant, golden broth and comforting matzo balls will be enlivened with a tangle of fresh herbs, lemon zest, and edible flowers. It's a recipe that still honors the iconic flavors of Passover, while giving a glow up that lets them truly shine. — Leah Koenig
Ingredients
Directions
Make Ahead
Cooled matzo balls can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 day.
Suggested Pairing
Floral sparkling wine: NV Freixenet Excelencia Kosher Brut Cava