Let’s all just admit that the best part of Passover is Matzo Ball Soup! Now, if you’re like me and you can’t eat eggs, or if you just choose to eat a vegan diet, then you are likely missing this staple for your Passover Seder. Well, I am here to tell you that you don’t have to miss out on the best course of Passover this year with this Vegan Matzo Ball Soup recipe made without eggs!
How to make eggless matzo balls
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.
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 ball without any eggs.
Ingredients in vegan matzo balls:
- 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
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 this homemade matzo ball recipe 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.
Making the vegetarian 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!
How to store matzo ball soup
Now we all know one of the best parts of Passover is…leftovers! That’s why I had to include some specific instructions on how to store this soup.
To store your soup as leftovers, store 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.
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.
I haven’t tried freezing this soup because it never lasts that long, however, if you do I still recommend storing the broth and matzo balls separately!
A vegan Passover recipe
Cooking Jewish cuisine brings me so much joy and I am so happy I still get to eat my favorite soup at every Seder 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
Looking for More Vegan-Friendly Passover Recipes? Check out these SGTO favorites:
Easy Vegan Lemon Curd (for a creative sweet matzah topping!)
Vegan Potato Latkes (replace flour vs GF mix during Passover)
Roasted Carrot Cauliflower Soup
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Vegan Matzo Ball Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Soup
- Method: Stove, Blender
- Cuisine: Jewish
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A vegan version of your favorite matzo ball soup without meat or eggs. Enjoy this soup over Passover or all year long!
Ingredients
Matzo Balls
- 8 oz silken tofu
- 3/4– 1 cup matzo meal (start with 3/4 and add more if mix too wet, it should be semi-sticky but not too wet, I find 3/4 cup+ 1 Tbsp is the perfect amount for me)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 flax egg (1Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp water, soaked about 5 mins)
- 2–3 sprigs fresh dill (leaves only, no stems)
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Soup Ingredients
- 1 large parsnip (peeled and chopped)
- 3–4 medium carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp 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 3/4 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 3/4-1 cup matzo meal vs. 1/2-3/4 cup. I still think 3/4 is the perfect amount, but I removed 1/2 cup as I never use this little matzo meal in this recipe. All other ingredients have remained the same. Thanks!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 soup
- Calories: 167 calories
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Fat: 6.6 grams
- Carbohydrates: 22.8 grams
- Fiber: 5.9 grams
- Protein: 4.8 grams
Keywords: vegan soup, matzo ball soup without eggs, matzo ball soup, vegan matzo ball soup, vegan passover, matzo balls, matzah recipes, Jewish recipes, Vegan Jewish Recipes
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!
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!
Jacob says
This soup was so good! Had enough to eat as leftovers and it tasted just as great the next day.
★★★★★
ShortGirlTallOrder says
So glad you liked it!
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!