Easy Kosher for Passover Matzo Balls (Kneidlach) is a simple recipe for the best classic medium-fluffy matzo balls made without schmaltz (rendered fat), so they’re vegetarian (pareve).
About matzo balls
Matzo balls are sometimes described as Jewish dumplings. However, matzo balls contain no dough or filling—just a simple blend of matzo meal, egg, oil, and some spices.
Chicken soup is well known to be an amazing comfort food, and the addition of matzo balls makes it even more delicious.
This is true anytime of the year, especially for Shabbat dinner, but chicken soup with matzo balls is an absolute staple at many Ashkenazi dinner tables at the Passover seder.
While some people use schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) as the fat ingredient for their matzo balls, this recipe calls for oil, making them vegetarian (and pareve).
Also, this recipe uses baking powder and not seltzer to create the fluffiness, and the result is a perfect medium-fluffy matzo ball, not a hard one (that we call golf-balls) and not one so full of air that there’s barely any texture.
Many matzo ball recipes require chilling the mixture. However, this recipe is not one of them. While you can place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill as it sets, if you leave it for too long (and the mixture turns darker and more solid), your matzo balls will come out hard.
What is Passover?
Passover is a holiday that was dictated by God to the Jews after their exodus from Egypt, when God freed them from slavery.
The holiday lasts 7 days in Israel and 8 everywhere else. There is a celebratory (so to speak) meal called a seder, which is held on the first night in Israel and on the first two nights everywhere else.
The seder (which means order) is actually done in a particular order with certain foods and blessings, while it retells of the exodus from Egypt as per Jewish laws that pertain to Passover.
While there are a lot of food restrictions during the week of Passover, matzo ball soup is one of the things we look forward to.
In fact, according to the CRC (a recognized authority on what is kosher), “Baking soda doesn’t need special Pesach certification. Baking powder does.” Note: Pesach = Passover, in Hebrew.
If you have any questions about what is kosher for Passover or not, always check with a reliable rabbinical authority.
Food on Passover
Torah-observant Jews do not eat chametz (the fermented products of five grains: wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye).
In addition, Torah-observant Ashkenazi Jews do not eat kitniyot (or kitniyos as pronounced in Ashkenazi Hebrew). These include legumes, corn, rice, and similar foods that were deemed forbidden to eat by rabbis in the medieval period and are still not eaten today. Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews do not follow this tradition.
Many observant Ashkenazi Jews will not even eat the derivatives of these kitniyot, while others do (each family holds their own traditions regarding this).
Then, there are Ashkenazim who don’t eat “gebrokts” (or gebrochts).
Gebrokts (gebrochts) means “broken” in Yiddish and in this case refers to matzo that has absorbed liquid. Not eating gebrokts is observed by many in the Hasidic Jewish community and Ashkenazim who have taken on this tradition, where they basically don’t mix anything wet with matzo.
So, things like matzo sandwiches, fried matzo, and even matzo balls are a no-no for them.
There is a joke that sums it all up:
On Passover, we should remember people who have little to eat on this holiday. They are called Ashkenazim.
Over the years, I have learned to adapt “normal” food for Passover so that my family won’t complain about boring, tasteless, or repetitive meals.
I find that having good food and variety makes the week of Passover a very pleasant experience, and I hope this recipe will help make yours just that!
Some cooking terms
What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?
When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).
The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it.
Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.
Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.
What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”
If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
This recipe calls for baking powder, but isn’t baking powder a leavening agent?
While it is no secret that leaveners are not permissable on Passover, that refers to natural leaveners that cause rising by fermentation, not synthetic leavening agents, where the rising is due to a chemical reaction.
Baking powder is a synthetic leavening agent, so it is permissible on Passover, as long as it’s certified kosher for Passover.
Can you make the mixture for these matzo balls ahead of time?
No. You can let the mixture “set” in the refrigerator as per the time in the instructions or a little more, however, do not over-chill or your matzo balls will come out hard.
Can you freeze matzo balls?
Yes, if the matzo balls are already cooked. Cooked matzo balls freeze very well. Let them cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months.
Are these matzo balls kosher for Passover?
Yes. This recipe is kosher for Passover. Just ensure that all of your ingredients—especially the matzo meal and baking powder—are certified Kosher for Passover (labeled with a “P” or “KP”).
Why are my matzo balls hard?
Matzo balls usually turn out hard if the mixture was over-mixed, handled too tightly when shaping, or chilled in the refrigerator for too long before cooking.
For medium-fluffy matzo balls, mix the ingredients gently, let sit, make balls, and then drop into boiling chicken soup or water, making sure not to crowd.
What if I want to make hard matzo balls?
Then use the same recipe but leave the mixture in the refrigerator or overnight.
Kosher for Passover Pantry Essentials (Suggestion)
I maintain a selection of what I consider “kosher for Passover pantry essentials” in my refrigerator and on my shelves during the week of Passover (some of the dry goods I keep from year to year, stored well).
While, of course, most of the essentials will not be needed just for any one recipe, at least some of them are needed for most recipes, and you would be surprised how many recipes can be made just with this list. So, if you make sure to have whatever you use regularly on hand, it can really save you time and effort.
Everyone has their favorite recipes, preferred seasoning, and just whatever they like to use to cook. Your own list should certainly reflect your own cooking tastes and style. Just make sure that everything is Kosher for Passover (or KLP—Kasher L’Pesach, in Hebrew) and if you are Ashkenazi, that list will be shorter than if you are not.
Make sure to check with a qualified rabbi if you have any questions.
Utensils:
- Measuring cups for liquid
- Measuring cups for solids (flour, sugar, etc.)
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Kitchen scale
NOTE: When using measuring cups and spoons, make sure that the measurements are comparable to one another (example: that 4 tablespoons equals 1/4 of your measuring cup). You’d be surprised to know that not all measuring cups are the same, and this can throw your measurements off.
Seasoning and flavoring:
- salt
- ground black or white pepper
- granulated garlic or garlic powder
- onion powder
- ground cinnamon
- sugar (granulated)
- brown sugar
- chicken consommé powder
- onion soup mix
- various herbs
- additional spices to adapt taste to preference
Misc:
- oil / margarine / butter / cooking spray
- potato starch as a thickening agent
- baking powder
- matzo cake meal (matzo meal, but ground into a powder)
- condiments, such as ketchup and barbecue sauce
- tomato sauce/tomato paste/canned tomatoes—diced or crushed/pasta sauce
But what do I need for this recipe?
These are the ingredients that you need to make this recipe:
matzo meal or matzo cake meal
baking powder (no, it’s not leavening agent)
salt
garlic powder (or granulated garlic)
onion powder
large eggs
oil
Hard Matzo Balls
If you want to make hard matzo balls, use the same recipe and chill for several hours or overnight.
Some more recipes for the week of Passover.
Here are some delicious kosher for Passover recipes, and if you want more, just put “Passover” in the search bar.
French-Style Onion Soup for Passover
Israeli Eggplant Salad for Passover
Broccoli Salad for Passover
Pancakes for Passover
Easy Kosher for Passover Matzo Balls (Kneidlach) Recipe
Perfect medium-fluffy matzo balls are vegetarian and parve, and absolutely delicious in soup for Passover or any time of year!
Ingredients
- 1 cup matzo meal or matzo cake meal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or granulated garlic)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Combine matzo meal, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder together in a bowl.
- Add eggs, oil, and water. Mix well.
- Let sit for approximately 10 - 15 minutes until mixture thickens.*
- Form balls of approximately 1 inch in diameter.
- Drop into boiling chicken soup and boil for approximately 15 minutes (the balls should become around double the size).
Notes
IF YOU ARE MAKING THIS FOR PASSOVER, MAKE SURE ALL INGREDIENTS ARE CERTIFIED KOSHER FOR PASSOVER.
*You can chill for this amount of time if you'd like to, but DO NOT over-chill because your matzo balls will come out hard.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 153Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 272mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 3g