Chicken Noodle Soup
with
Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls
Over the years I’ve made hundreds of matzoh balls, usually in the Traditional style, but often with a twist with different flavors or techniques such as: Saffron, Mexican, Horseradish, Fried, Vietnamese, Turkey, Edible Flowers, and more!
This time, I added Calabrian chili to the mix to make fabulously flavorful and somewhat spicy matzoh balls with a distinct Italian flair.
Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce is made with Calabrian chili peppers sourced from a trusted pepper cultivator in Calabria, Italy (the “toe” of Italy’s “boot”). Their Italian Bomba Hot Sauce is a tribute to a centuries-old culinary tradition.
Since the 1500s, Calabrian hot chili peppers have been a staple of Southern Italian cuisine, especially when crushed, fermented, and mixed into a fiery hot condiment, just like this Bomba Sauce. The natural fruity notes of the peppers are amplified by the slightly pickled flavor and texture they take on during fermentation, making it particularly suited for pasta dishes and pizzas, and who knew, matzoh balls too?
Chicken Noodle Soup with Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls Recipe
Chicken Soup
- one high-quality whole soup chicken, cut-up and rinsed
- one large yellow onion, peeled, rough chopped
- 3 celery ribs, rough chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled, rough chopped
- 1 parsnip, peeled, rough chopped
- one handful fresh parsley sprigs
- half handful fresh dill sprigs
- 1/2 t. whole black peppercorns
- sea salt
- olive oil
Place chicken in a large pot of filtered cold water, bring to a boil, skim the surface, and adjust heat to low. Cooking on too high heat will result in a cloudy soup. Skim the surface periodically to remove scum.
After one hour remove just the chicken breast meat and reserve it to add to the finished soup later. Put the skin and bones back in the pot. (If dark meat is preferred, remove the thigh meat).
Add onion, celery, carrot, parsnip, parsley, dill, and peppercorns. Simmer for another hour.
Turn off heat and let cool slightly for 1/2 hour. Use tongs to remove large pieces of chicken then strain soup through a colander, discard the solids. Strain a second time through a fine mesh sieve to get a beautiful clear soup. Return soup to a clean pot, bring to a simmer, add salt and splash of olive oil to taste.
Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls
- 1 1/2 t. calabrian chili pepper sauce (or to taste)
- 2 large eggs (not jumbo)
- 2 T. good-tasting olive oil
- 1 packet matzoh ball mix (I like reduced sodium Manischewitz)
The pepper sauce is a coarse mix of chilis, oil, and dried basil. Chop the chili pepper sauce to make a smoother paste so that it blends well with the matzoh ball mix.
In a small bowl whisk eggs with olive oil. Stir in chili pepper paste. Add the contents of one packet of matzoh ball mix and blend with a fork. Chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Wet your hands and roll chilled batter into 8 balls. Carefully drop the balls into the boiling water. Cover tightly, turn down the heat to medium-low.
Do not turn the heat all the way to simmer. I think with medium-low heat, agitation from the boiling water with lots of room in the pot helps create fluffier balls. Do not open the lid during cooking, as the steam and pressure also helps make those light airy dumplings.
It will take about 30 minutes to cook all the way through. Remove the fully cooked balls with a slotted spoon and set in dish or pan in a single layer.
Tip: Do not cook your matzoh balls in your chicken soup, as this will give you a murky soup. (See the cooking water in the image above).
To Serve
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, sliced thin on the bias
- 2 celery ribs, sliced thin
- reserved chicken breast meat
- fine egg noodles
- olive oil
- fresh ground black pepper
The vegetables that were used to make the broth are discarded as their flavors have been spent. Simmer new carrots and celery in the clear broth until soft.
Shred the chicken breast meat by hand. Add it to the soup to heat through.
Meanwhile cook fine egg noodles according to package instructions. Add a splash of olive oil. Drain and stop the cooking with a splash of cold water. Do not overcook the noodles.
Place noodles in bowls. Ladle hot chicken soup over the noodles. Season with a few grinds of pepper. Place warm matzoh balls on top. For an extra kick, serve additional chili pepper sauce on the side.
