So excited to bring you this Vegan Matzo Ball Soup that actually holds together while cooking! If you can't eat eggs or if you choose to eat a vegan diet, then you are likely missing this staple for your Passover Seder, Hanukkah celebrations, or to enjoy for Rosh Hashanah dinner. Luckily, this eggless matzo ball soup is here to save the day!
*Recipe originally shared April 2019 and updated March 2021*
It's pretty remarkable if you take a look at traditional Jewish cuisine and realize almost everything has eggs in it. Especially the best foods like challah (Jewish bread), kugel (made with egg noodles), matzo brei ( egg and matzah scramble- don't knock it until you've tried it), and of course matzo balls. That's not even counting the meat or fish-filled dishes like brisket or gefilte fish that my family enjoys after our seder!
Most of these foods I'm okay living without, but Matzo Ball soup is NOT one of them.
How to make Vegan matzo balls
Traditionally, Matzo Ball Soup is made in a chicken soup broth. Also, the matzo balls are traditionally made out of matzah, eggs, water, and oil. I've been vegetarian for a long while now, so making a matzo ball soup with a vegetable broth base has been the norm the last few years.
However, for this recipe, I had to go one step further and get really creative to make fluffy and delicious vegan matzo balls without any eggs.
What are matzo balls made of?
- Silken tofu (Firm tofu will not work)
- Flax egg (ground flaxseed with water)
- Matzo meal ( I prefer Manischewitz brand)
- Oil (I used olive oil, but any oil works)
- Dill, parsley, garlic powder, salt, & pepper for flavor
Why this recipe works:
I did a few recipe tests which consisted of a lot of yummy soups with some really broken apart matzo ball bits floating in them. Not exactly bringing back those fond Passover memories!
The key to making these eggless matzo balls turned out to be using silken tofu and leaving the matzo balls in the fridge overnight (8-24 hours).
If I had to guess why this works, the extra time in the fridge likely allows the flax seeds time to bind all the ingredients together and soak up any liquids. The other thing to note is that smaller matzo balls will work better in this recipe than larger ones.
Also, I make my eggless matzo balls extra tasty by adding dried parsley and fresh dill directly into the matzo balls themselves for the best flavor.
Matzo ball soup broth:
To make a truly delicious matzo ball soup from scratch a delicious vegetarian broth is crucial. While I've seen this soup made with carrots and onions many times, I was inspired to try something new and add parsnips to my soup.
Ingredients:
- Parsnips
- Carrots
- Onions
- Vegetable broth
- Oil
- Dill, parsley, garlic powder, salt, & pepper for flavor
The combination of parsnips and dill bring out the most comforting flavors in this broth. Seriously, the flavors in this soup truly bring back the best memories of the matzo ball soup I ate growing up. If you are going to try anything new this year, let it be parsnips in your soup!
FAQ & Expert Tips:
When it comes to vegan matzo balls, the key is to use an ingredient such as flax eggs which acts as an emulsifier to hold the matzo meal together.
To store your soup as leftovers, store the matzo balls and broth in separate containers. Otherwise, the vegan matzah balls will fall apart if left to soak in the broth for several hours. Then, when you are ready to reheat, just combine the container of matzo balls and soup broth (with veggies) in a pot or a microwave-safe dish and heat until warmed throughout.
Yes! The same instructions apply where the matzo balls and broth should be stored separately.
Cooking Jewish cuisine brings me so much joy and I am so happy I still get to eat my favorite soup at every Seder & Hanukkah dinner to come.
Please note, if you do not eat Kitniyot over Passover, this recipe would not be Kosher for Passover as it contains tofu/soybeans and flaxseed. My family personally still eats Kitniyot so this recipe works really well for us.
Even if you aren't vegan or Jewish, I highly recommend this soup as the ultimate vegan comfort food to enjoy all winter long. Happy Pesach to all who celebrate and hope you enjoy this Vegan Matzo Ball Soup!
-TSG
More vegan Jewish food recipes you will love:
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Vegan Matzo Ball Soup
Ingredients
Matzo Balls
- 8 ounces silken tofu
- ¾- 1 cup matzo meal (start with ¾ and add more if mix too wet)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 flax egg 1Tbsp/8 grams ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp water, soaked 5 mins
- 2-3 sprigs fresh dill leaves only, no stems
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
Soup Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 1 large parsnip peeled and chopped
- 3-4 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Making the Matzo Balls
- Please note: You will need to make your matzah balls 8-24 hours ahead of cooking your soup.
- Begin by adding your silken tofu to a blender and blend until it is smooth and creamy. Next, add in your matzah meal, flax egg, oil, salt, pepper, and dried parsley. Blend until combined. Start with ¾ cup matzah meal and add up to 1 cup to make into a firm, yet slightly sticky, dough. Lastly, add in your fresh dill and blend about 10-15 seconds. At this time, you have your matzah ball dough! Place the bowl of dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to help firm before shaping into balls.
- Once the matzo ball dough has firmed remove from the fridge and form into balls. The dough should be enough for 12-14 small matzah balls total. Once the balls are formed, place on a plate (ideally covered in parchment paper to avoid sticking), cover (I use plastic wrap), and put in the fridge overnight (8-24 hours) before making your soup.
Making the Soup
- Start by adding 1 Tbsp oil to a large soup pot. Once hot, add in your chopped onions, parsnips, and carrots. Season with salt & pepper and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Next, add your 8 cups of broth to the pot along with the soup seasoning including dried parsley, garlic powder, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in your matzah balls one at a time.
- Turn the temperature down to medium heat and cook the soup for an additional 8-10 minutes (no longer, you don't want to overcook everything!). Turn off the stove, remove the pot from the heat, and serve immediately!
Notes
- In order for the matzo balls to hold their shape, you will need to make and store them in the refrigerator 8-24 hours before cooking your soup.
- To store your soup as leftovers, place the matzo balls and broth in separate containers. Otherwise, the matzo balls will fall apart if left to soak in the broth for several hours.
- Soup is best eaten within 3-5 days of making if stored in the fridge.
- Please note- if you do not eat Kitniyot over Passover, this recipe would not be Kosher for Passover as it contains tofu/soybeans and flaxseed
- Please note this recipe was updated April 2020 to call for ¾-1 cup matzo meal vs. ½-3/4 cup. I still think ¾ is the perfect amount, but I removed ½ cup as I never use this little matzo meal in this recipe. All other ingredients have remained the same. Thanks!
Barb says
How long do the matzoh balls boil for?
Megan says
That information is already listed in the recipe card- for 8 to 10 minutes!
Barb says
I’m interested in making the matzo balls gluten free for my daughter in law. Is there a way to substitute the matzo meal for something else?
Megan says
I think you can buy a gluten-free matzo meal- but that would be the only ingredient that would work!
Deborah says
When you call for silken tofu, is that silken tofu in a refrigerated tub, or the shelf-stable kind that comes in a small box and can be firm, soft or extra firm? Thank you!
Megan says
I've only used the refrigerated kind so that's what I would recommend.
Sarah says
I took the recommendation of one of the commenters and froze these and then steamed them prior to cooking in the soup. They absolutely stayed together and did not disintegrate at all. However, they did not taste like matzoh balls. They tasted more like dumplings. Not bad, just not quite right. I will try again without steaming, or maybe baking first, to see if that lightens them.
Megan says
I'd recommend trying them as the recipe suggests first by making them, storing them in the fridge overnight, and then cooking them directly in the soup as that is how they were intended to be made and how they will have the best texture.
Barbara Anderton says
Hi Megan from a Glasgow jewish lass! I don't eat any fat or oil in my diet, so, can I do what I normally do and use just boiling water to 'fry' the ingredients?
I do hope so - I've only just 'happened' on your wonderful website and as a 72 yr old lapsed jewess you've brought me back some lovely memories that my beloved nana used to make when I was very young. A little aside -only today did I explain to my non jewish hubby what Seder was! What a coincidence as we've been married nearly 25 years and both on the same day
Megan says
Hi! I've never tried making this dish oil-free, but I think frying the vegetables in water or vegetable broth should work. The only thing I am not sure about is replacing the oil in the actual matzo ball recipe. Hope you enjoy it!!
Ryan says
Brilliant! After my other recipe disintegrated, I quickly put these together and they worked. Here’s a trick - I didn’t have 8 hours to let them sit. I put the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes (made it a little dryer than the recipe probably should be) and then set up a steamer. Steamed them for 20 minutes and then put them in the soup as it was served. Perfect consistency and they stayed together like my grandma’s! Thank you!
Megan says
So happy you were able to have them for Passover! Thanks for sharing the tip on steaming the matzo balls too, that's great to know 🙂
Milly says
Can you freeze these matzah balls?
Megan says
I haven't tried it. Do you mean once they are cooked or before?
Ann S. says
SO 👏 GOOD 👏 !!! 👏
I had never had matzo ball soup before ... But I WILL be having it again.
Thanks again, Megan!
Megan says
Yay so happy you loved it and tried a new soup! 🙂
Gayle says
It was the only vegan matzoh ball recipe that worked! The vegan matzoh ball recipes that I tried, never worked...the balls disintegrated into the soup. These were great and delicious! Thank you!
ShortGirlTallOrder says
Thank you so much Gayle, enjoy all the matzo ball soup!
ShortGirlTallOrder says
So glad you liked it!
Jacob says
This soup was so good! Had enough to eat as leftovers and it tasted just as great the next day.
Nathan says
I have a lot of leftover firm tofu. Could I use it in place of the silken tofu?
mhorowitch8 says
Hi there! You might be able to get away with soft tofu, however, I don't think firm tofu would work for this recipe. I think it may make the matzo balls too dense, but if you try it let me know!
rivka says
Of course, Jews of Ashekenazi descent, who eat no kitniyos (aka kitniyot, aka legumes and rice) over Passover won't find this recipe KFP.
mhorowitch8 says
Thanks Rivka, that is absolutely true as this recipe contains tofu (soy/legumes). However, hopefully it will be a good recipe to try at other times of the year if you are looking for a vegan matzo ball soup outside of Passover!