Hanukkah starts in just a few days. While I’m not completely sure matzo ball soup is consumed during the holiday, I always try to base my recipes around the upcoming holidays and seasons. Also, I’m kinda jealous that people get to celebrate a holiday for 8 days in a row! It sounds fun and way less stressful then combining everything into one day. I always remember my parents saying ‘well, that’s it, it’s all over until next year” at the end of every Christmas…but if we had 8 days to celebrate? All the anticipation and planning would be spread out.
This recipe is inspired from The Rooster, a Jewish deli in Philly. Their recipe is a little bit smokey and the dill keeps everything fresh. The Rooster started as a way to repurpose unused chicken from Federal Donuts (yes, they serve donuts…and fried chicken). What better way to use chicken than soup? The coolest part is they donate 100% of their profits to Broad Street Ministry, which provides meals and services to those in need. Eat a good meal and know you’re helping people in need sounds like a win win situation.
My favorite thing about cooking is learning a new technique or process. Especially with things I don’t cook often, it’s trial and error. For this recipe, I never knew you could buy fresh turmeric root, just like a ginger root! Unfortunately, my grocery store didn’t have any, but if you’re lucky enough to find some I recommend using fresh instead of ground.
While I tweaked the original recipe a little bit, it’s still a unique matzo ball soup recipe that is perfect for no matter what you’re celebrating!
Mini Matzo Ball Soup

Mini matzo balls, turmeric broth, chopped vegetables, topped with dill.
You'll Need...
- Broth:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon fennel
- 1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (depending on smokey preference)
- Matzo Balls:
- 1 cup matzo meal mix
- 3 eggs, whisked
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
- Broth: Heat oil in a large soup pan. Add onion, celery, garlic. Saute until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining broth ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes.
- Matzo Balls: Mix all matzo ingredients in a bowl. Add more matzo mix if too wet. Form into 1 inch balls. Let sit in fridge for 30 minutes. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Cook matzo balls about 30 minutes.
- Add matzo balls to broth. Top with fresh dill before serving.
Additional Notes
images and text © North Coast Eats
adapted from The Rooster & Southwest The Magazine
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