# Tell me all your little matzo ball soup secrets
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-all-your-little-matzo-ball-soup-secrets/352536
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 13, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-all-your-little-matzo-ball-soup-secrets/352536 "2006-04-13T16:05:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-all-your-little-matzo-ball-soup-secrets/352536/1 "2006-04-13T16:05:37Z")
Happy belated Passover. Being a goy (or is that goyum?), I have no Jewish grandmas to ask about the intricacies of the soup of soups: Matzo ball. Through the years, I’ve somehow become responsible for making the soup for all Jewish occassions, sick friends, and, well, when I really want some dough balls. I’ve gleaned a few nifty tricks throughout the years, but I want to run them by some other Matzo lovers and see if they can add (or subtract) any special little secrets
-Veggies: I use carrots, onions, celery, and parsnips, always parsnips. Veggies are sauteed in butter & a little oil for awhile before they are doused in chicken stock.
-Matzo Balls: Do you use seltzer water instead of regular water? I do, but I’ve heard gripes, so now I do a half & half. Legend has is that seltzer water makes the balls a little fluffier. (Insert your nonsensical sexual joke here)
-Stock: With chicken or chicken bones if possible, with store-bought if not, and the avoidance of bullion cubes is paramount. They are frightening things.
-Noodles: those little eggy ones. You know, the ones that are basically little dots.
I’m most curious about your tricks for the balls themselves, the veggies you use, and how you spice the soup overall (I just use salt & pepper. A lot of salt & pepper).
I await your expertise.
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### Author:  [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-all-your-little-matzo-ball-soup-secrets/352536/2 "2006-04-13T17:23:40Z")
Seems like all is good with what you’re doing so I am going to assume you already know to put the matzoh balls in the fridge for 30-45 minutes before cooking them, right?
Oh, and I’ve always used regular water snd have been happy with the result but now I want to try the seltzer or half of each just to see what that’s like.
Oh, and I’m fond of putting a little fresh minced garlic in the stock.
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### Author:  [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-all-your-little-matzo-ball-soup-secrets/352536/3 "2006-04-14T02:44:40Z")
> [@Birdmonster](#):
>
> -Veggies: I use carrots, onions, celery, and parsnips, always parsnips. Veggies are sauteed in butter & a little oil for awhile before they are doused in chicken stock.
> -Stock: With chicken or chicken bones if possible, with store-bought if not, and the avoidance of bullion cubes is paramount. They are frightening things.
butter is dairy, isnt it? and chicken meat … so making it this way is not kosher. use schmaltz [chicken fat] for the frying.
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### Author:  [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2006, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-all-your-little-matzo-ball-soup-secrets/352536/4 "2006-04-14T04:08:13Z")
\
Moved to Cafe Society.
\
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### Author:  [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2006, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-all-your-little-matzo-ball-soup-secrets/352536/5 "2006-04-14T11:55:44Z")
> [@aruvqan](#):
>
> butter is dairy, isnt it? and chicken meat … so making it this way is not kosher. use schmaltz [chicken fat] for the frying.
I was wondering about that too. When I was a vegetarian I used to use the vegetarian (aritificial) chicken flavor broth. Yummy. 🙂
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2006, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-all-your-little-matzo-ball-soup-secrets/352536/6 "2006-04-14T14:01:34Z")
According to this, it won’t be kosher for Passover if your matzoh balls are made with eggs: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matzah](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matzah)
Important to keep your hands wet when handling the balls: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matzah\_balls](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matzah_balls)
Why would you include noodles **and** matzoh balls in the same soup?!
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-all-your-little-matzo-ball-soup-secrets/352536/7 "2006-04-14T17:07:57Z")
Instead of noodles, how about some julliened vegetables? It’ll give the soup more volume without adding to its starch level.