Instant Pot Matzo Ball Soup

This instant pot matzo ball soup is every bit as delicious and soul-warming as traditional matzo ball soup, but it comes together in a fraction of the time! While it tastes like it was simmering for hours, you will have warm, nourishing soup on the table in just over 2 hours.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine American, Jewish

Diet Kosher, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Low Salt

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1 15

Chilling Time 20

Total Time 2 20

Servings servings

Calories 248kcal

Author Alana Lieberman

Cost $20

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Chicken Broth

3 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (kosher is preferred for best flavor)
1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 parsnip, quartered
3 carrots, cut in half
2 celery ribs, cut in half
1 teaspoon dried dill
½ teaspoon kosher salt
11 cups water, or enough to fill the instant pot to the “max fill” line

For the Matzo Balls

1 cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon baking powder SEE NOTES
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for boiling water
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 large eggs
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or parsley

For Serving

Egg noodles, prepared according to the package
Boiled carrots
Shredded chicken, removed from the bone, leftover from the broth

Instructions

Add chicken thighs, onion, parsnip, carrots, and celery to the instant pot. Season with dried dill and kosher salt. Pour water on top.
Cover instant pot, place valve in the “sealing” position, and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
Let pressure naturally release for 30 minutes before switching the valve to the “venting” position and manually releasing any remaining pressure.
While the soup cooks, prep the matzo balls, egg noodles, and boiled carrots.
Add matzo ball ingredients to a large bowl. Mix to combine. Place bowl in the refrigerator and let mixture chill for at least 20 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove. Season the water with kosher salt.
Scoop 2 tablespoons of matzo ball batter and form a ball. Place ball in the salted boiling water. Repeat with the rest of the mixture until there is no batter remaining (you should have about 10 total matzo balls).
Cover and simmer matzo balls for 30 minutes, or until they double in size and become light and fluffy. Store matzo balls in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Optional: When the soup is done cooking, let it cool before covering the instant pot insert and placing it in the fridge overnight. This will allow the fat to solidify on top. Carefully remove the soup from the fridge so it doesn’t get stirred up. Use a slotted spoon to scrape and discard the fat off the top of the soup for a less greasy broth. (I highly recommend following this step!)
Strain the remaining broth into a large pot or bowl. Discard the vegetable scraps. Set chicken aside and remove the bones, cartilage, and skin from the chicken meat. Use shredded pieces of chicken in the soup or store for later to make homemade chicken salad.
To serve, place 1 matzo ball, 1 boiled carrot, some egg noodles, and some shredded chicken into a soup bowl. Ladle chicken broth over top. Season with additional salt and pepper, as desired.

Notes

If using this recipe for Passover, be sure to use kosher for Passover matzo meal and baking powder! If you do not feel comfortable using baking powder, you can swap it for ¼ cup of unflavored seltzer water instead.
The carrots in the instant pot will become mushy and overcooked because they are used ONLY for developing deep flavor in the broth. I recommend separately boiling additional carrots - until they are just fork-tender - to serve in your soup instead.
This recipe makes fairly large matzo balls. For smaller balls, use 1 tablespoon of batter instead of 2 tablespoons!

Nutrition