Matzo Ball Soup

This was a recipe from Christina Pirello's cookbook and it was amazing!  The matzo balls held together so nicely!  You can make your own vegetable stock or buy a good quality, low sodium stock and add some vegetables to it if you like and some fresh dill.

1 1/2 cups matzo meal (whole grain is available in some stores)

12 ounces silken tofu
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sparkling water
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
2-3 sprigs fresh parsley, finely minced

Soup:
6 cups Vegetable Stock
3 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
2-3 tablespoons sweet white miso
2-3 sprigs fresh parsley, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Make the matzo ball mixture first, as it has to chill for at least an hour before proceeding with the recipe.

Place matzo meal in a mixing bowl. In a blender, puree tofu, oil, sparkling water and salt and pepper to taste until smooth.

Fold tofu mixture and parsley into matzo, mixing until well-combined. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least an hour, but overnight is the best.

When you are ready to make the soup and finish the matzo balls, bring a pot of water to a boil with a generous pinch of sea salt. Remove the matzo mixture from the fridge and form into balls, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place prepared matzo balls on parchment and continue forming until all the matzo mixture is used. Carefully drop the matzo balls into the boiling water, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the matzo balls for 35-40 minutes; try not to uncover the pot before 35 minutes are up.

While the matzo balls cook, make the soup. Combine ingredients in a soup pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. You may strain the veggies out of the soup and serve only the broth, which is traditional, but I love to keep the vegetables in the soup. Remove a small amount of hot broth and dissolve miso. Stir into soup and simmer over low heat for 3-4 minutes.

To serve, ladle 3 matzo balls into individual serving bowls and spoon soup over top. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately. Makes 5-6 servings

Vegetable Stock:

1 onion, cut lengthwise into thin slices

Several green onions or a small leek, cleaned and diced

2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Sea salt

8 or 9 cups spring or filtered water

1 or 2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 cup diced button mushrooms, brushed clean and left whole

1 or 2 bay leaves

2 fresh parsley sprigs

Fresh or dried basil or rosemary sprigs (optional)

Add onions, garlic, salt and about 1/2 cup of the water to a soup pot over low heat. Simmer about 15 minutes. Add the

remaining water and other ingredients and bring the stock to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, about 1 hour.

Pour the stock through a strainer, pressing as much liquid as you can from the vegetables before discarding them. Makes

about 6 cups