Yes, Passover has passed, but vegan matzo ball soup is so good it’s worth enjoying all year round!
Over the years I’ve experimented a lot of vegan matzo ball recipes, often with little luck. You see, matzo balls are very delicate and are traditionally held together with eggs, so it can be challenging to find plant-based ingredients that bind the matzo meal together effectively, so the balls don’t disintegrate when you drop them into the soup.
I’m eager to give this new recipe from Vegan: The Cookbook a try!
- 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) silken tofu
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 9 oz (250 g) matzo meal
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 6 ¼ cups (1.5 liters/50 fl oz) vegetable stock (broth)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, to garnish
- To make the matzo ball dough using a food processor or high-speed blender, blend the tofu and olive oil. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the matzo meal, nutritional yeast, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and celery seeds. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper and stir well. Put the dough into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
- Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5–6 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the dill and stock, bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and maintain a simmer.
- Using your hands or a soup spoon, shape the dough into 2-inch (5 cm) balls. Carefully drop the dumplings into the soup, trying not to break them. Cover the pot and cook the soup at a low simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, season the soup to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir in the lemon juice. Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.
Recipe from VEGAN: THE COOKBOOK by French vegan chef Jean-Christian Jury. This new cookbook is packed with 500 plant-powered recipes inspired by cuisines around the world. The recipes are simple, to-the-point, and many are accompanied by stunning photos like the one you see above. The book is giant and will keep you feasting on unique, fresh recipes for years to come. Enjoy!
You can see more sample vegan recipes from the book here.
