Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup with Roasted Parsnip, Ginger, and Basil Broth (Instant Pot friendly)
Richly flavoured, herbal and savoury, this deeply amber vegetarian broth cradling tender and fluffy matzo balls will delight and satisfy all of the eaters at your table. Roasted vegetables, ginger, and fresh herbs flavor the aromatic broth, pillowy matzo balls are enriched with olive oil and subtly spiced with basil, ground coriander, and a touch of fresh grated ginger - it all comes together in a comforting and fragrant bowl of soup that can rival traditional versions.
Servings: 6 servings. Each serving is 1 matzo ball and approximately 1.5 cups of broth
Ingredients
- For the roasted vegetable broth:
- 5-6 carrots approx. 700 gm, prepared and divided as noted
- 5-6 parsnips approx. 700 gm, prepared and divided as noted
- 2 leeks white and light green parts, approx 300 gm
- 1 head garlic
- 1 large knob ginger approx. 50 gm
- 1 large sweet onion
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 stalks celery approx. 100 gm
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 large handfuls basil divided as noted
- 1 small knob turmeric approx. 10 gms
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon whole dried coriander seed
- 1 piece dried kombu
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 8-9 cups water
- For the matzo ball mixture:
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 packet store bought matzo ball mix
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 heaping tbsp finely slivered basil
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For garnish:
- Two basil leaves per bowl
- 1 lemon thinly sliced into 6 half moon slices
- nigella seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare the vegetables: peel the carrots and parsnips, then thinly slice on the diagonal until you have about ¾ cup of each, and reserve for later. With the remainder of the peeled carrots and parsnips, chop roughly into medium size pieces for roasting.
- Trim the leeks of their roots and dark green parts, leaving only the lighter green and white sections. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and then into half, so that you have manageable sections that you can thoroughly rinse under running water to remove any grit that might be hiding between the layers.
- Cut the head of garlic in half widthwise, cut the chunk of ginger in half, and cut the onion in half, reserving one half for another use. No need to remove the skin from any of these items.
- Put the prepared carrots, parsnips, leeks, garlic, ginger, and half the onion into a large roasting pan with 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat and roast for 30-40 minutes until well browned, turning the veg around a few times while roasting. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- While the vegetables are roasting, roughly chop the celery. Wash the parsley and the basil, reserving one big handful of basil for later on, and cut the turmeric in half lengthwise, reserving one half for another use.
- If using an Instant Pot: Put the remaining basil, all of the parsley, and the celery into the stainless steel inner pot of your Instant Pot. Add the salt, black pepper, coriander seeds, kombu, bay leaves, and one piece of turmeric. Scrape the roasted veggies out of the roasting pan and add to the other ingredients in the inner pot, and then pour in 8-9 cups of fresh water. Place the inner pot into the Instant Pot, secure the lid with the pressure release valve set to “sealing”, and set to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. *See important note about releasing the pressure of your Instant Pot.
- If using the stovetop: Follow the instructions as above, but instead of using the Instant Pot, use a heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven or stock pot. Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer vigorously for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- For all methods: Once your broth is cooked, allow it to cool. Set up a large fine mesh strainer lined with reusable cheesecloth over a large bowl. Ladle all of the cooked ingredients and liquid into the lined strainer and let drain. Press down with a large wooden spoon, and/or gather up the cloth and squeeze out as much flavourful goodness as you can. Compost the remaining vegetable matter left in the strainer, and either proceed with the recipe or decant the broth into glass jars and refrigerate/freeze.
- Make the matzo ball mix: Loosely following the packet instructions, combine 2 eggs and 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a medium size bowl and whisk until evenly mixed. Add the matzo ball mix, the grated ginger, slivered basil, ground coriander, and about 4 grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Mix well until fully combined, cover the bowl, and leave out on the counter for at least 15-20 minutes until the mixture has fully hydrated and thickened considerably.
- To cook the matzo balls and finish the soup: If you want, you can pre scoop or roll your matzo balls just before putting them in the soup. Set out a piece of parchment paper or other non-stick surface, and using a 1.5” diameter ice cream scoop, scoop out your matzo balls ; you should be able to get 6 or 7 matzo balls from the mix. You can also use a spoon; your matzo balls should be about 2 tablespoon of prepared mix each. If you want the absolute lightest and fluffiest matzo balls, don’t roll your balls much if at all after scooping - your cooked matzo balls will look a bit more rustic but they will be heavenly pillows. If you like a slightly firmer matzo ball and prefer a more finished rounded matzo ball aesthetic, gently roll your matzo balls with oiled hands, trying not to compress them very much. The unrolled and more rustic matzo balls do leave more matzo ‘bits’ in the broth, whereas the rolled balls leave the soup with less sediment, so keep that in mind, but for me, the softness of the almost unrolled matzo balls is preferable.
- Pour your completed broth into a large heavy bottomed pot such as a dutch oven. If your broth amounts to less than 9 cups add an additional cup of fresh water to top it up as the broth will reduce again during this next stage. Heat the pot over medium high heat until your broth is at a steaming simmer, then taste for salt. Add more if needed but undersalt slightly. Add the reserved finely sliced carrots and parsnips and one big sprig of basil from the amount you reserved earlier, continuing to keep a handful aside for the final garnish.
- Bring the broth to a vigorous simmer just short of a rolling boil, then gently place your prepared matzo balls into the broth - you can also just scoop your matzo balls directly in the hot broth without pre-preparing them if you can work quickly enough to get them all in within about a minute. Cover tightly with a lid and reduce heat to a moderate simmer until thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes.
- While the matzo balls are cooking, prepare the garnish for the soup: set out your soup bowls and place a half moon of lemon and 2 basil leaves into each bowl. When the matzo balls are thoroughly cooked, gently ladle one matzo ball into each bowl, followed by a few slices each of cooked carrot and parsnip and a generous ladle of broth - each serving should be about 1.5 cups of broth give or take a little bit. Sprinkle a few nigella seeds on top of the soup and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Important safety note: Once your Instant Pot has completed its cooking time, DO NOT release the pressure manually (as this will put you at risk of releasing boiling hot liquid out of the pressure release valve). Let the pressure release naturally on its own, making sure the locking pin has released and dropped down, and no more pressure remains inside the pot before you slowly unlock and remove the lid.