Matzo Ball Soup with Leftover Roast Chicken

Passover commemorates the Jewish people’s escape from slavery in Egypt. For eight days, many Jewish people abstain from leavened bread and eat matzo instead. Matzo ball soup, made from matzo meal (ground unleavened bread) is common during the holiday.

I didn’t grow up celebrating Passover, but when I was younger, I lived with a Jewish family who did. This homemade matzo ball soup is a simple gesture toward them, the care they put into meals, and the care they extended to me.

Now, a quarter of a century later, this is how I sometimes choose to remember them: by cooking food that wasn’t mine, but carried the warmth of home in a house I was only passing through.

The technique is the same one I use for Italian chicken soup. I simmer the bones from a roast chicken with onions, carrots, celery, and fresh parsley. The matzo balls are gently cooked in the soup at the end. If you need a recipe for roast chicken, here is a very flavorful version marinated in buttermilk.

This is not just about honoring someone else’s tradition. It’s about noticing what shaped you, remembering the hands that fed you with love, and choosing to pass that feeling along. A bowl of homemade soup, offered with care, has a way of saying what words can’t.

Ingredients

For the Broth and Soup

• Bones and skin from 1 leftover roast chicken
• Shredded cooked chicken (picked from the roast chicken before boiling)
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• A handful of fresh parsley, divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Water to cover (about 8–10 cups)

For the Matzo Balls (Makes about 12):

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup matzo meal (such as Manischewitz)
• 2 tablespoons broth
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
• Pepper (optional)

How to Make Matzo Ball Soup

1. Make the Broth

Add the chicken bones and skin, onion, half the parsley, carrots, and celery to a large pot. (If you prefer your carrots and celery less soft, you can wait and add them later.) Season with salt and pepper and cover with water.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let it cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally and rotating the chicken if still whole.

2. Prepare the Matzo Balls

While the broth simmers, mix the eggs, oil, matzo meal, salt and pepper (if using), and broth in a bowl. Stir until uniform. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Remove the Chicken and Adjust

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the bones and skin. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning if needed. If you held back the vegetables earlier, add them now.

4. Cook the Matzo Balls

Wet your hands and form the chilled mixture into 1-inch balls. Drop them gently into the soup. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30–40 minutes, until puffed and tender. Don't rush them because hard matzo balls are disappointing.

5. Finish the Soup

Stir in the shredded chicken and remaining chopped parsley. Simmer until everything is warmed through.

6. Serve

Ladle into bowls and serve warm. Add more parsley to finish if you'd like.