Instant Pot Matzo Ball Soup

This easy Instant Pot Matzo Ball Soup has all the hearty comforting flavors of a homemade chicken broth coupled with effortless, light and fluffy matzo balls from 👀 boxed mix ::gasp::

Yep. I said it. I’m not making Matzo balls from scratch. Well, one day I will because I do want to know the difference and I will be sure to report back. But until then, I will continue making matzo balls as I learned from my mother-in-law. And that’s using plain old easy-peasy boxed mix. Besides, semi-homemade is my jam.

My husband is Jewish and when we first started dating I was introduced to matzo ball soup. As we continued to have matzo ball soup over the years, those fluffy little dumplings really grew on me. It’s a comforting soup that signifies a family gathering. Years later at my job, I was sick one day and my boss brought me her matzo ball soup. It had dill. I fell in love. She then brought me matzo ball soup to cure me anytime I was sick! 😁❤️

I’ve come to learn that matzo ball soup, like most things, comes in many varieties. Some people like “floaters” that are light and airy so they float in the broth. Others like “sinkers” which are denser and have more bite to them. Once, my sister-in-law made some sinkers, albeit by accident, and my husband will forever remind us of the time he bit into those. We like our floaters!! Some soups are pure with broth and matzo balls only while others are loaded with chicken and vegetables. I prefer soups with more “stuff” in them so that’s exactly why I include chicken and veggies in my Instant Pot matzo ball soup.

What Is Matzo Ball Soup Anyways?

Simply put, matzo ball soup is a chicken broth base with dumplings made from matzo meal. It’s a staple of the Jewish holiday of Passover, but is often eaten year-round and can be found on the menu of many Jewish delis.

Passover is a significant holiday in the Jewish religion and celebrates the story of the Exodus, which was when Hebrew slaves fled Egypt. The Passover meal is known as a Seder and many of the foods eaten are historically symbolic. Matzo, for example, represents the unleavened bread that the Jews ate when they fled Egypt.

How To Make Instant Pot Matzo Ball Soup

The full recipe card is below, but for some additional info:

• I use my Instant Pot for this meal because I love how the chicken becomes super tender and easy to shred. The cook time in comparison to a regular pot is about the same if you take into consideration that you need to let the Instant Pot pressurize prior to the actual cook time starting. However, I still find the chicken far easier to shred when cooked in the “IP.”

• You’ll always have a richer chicken broth using bone-in chicken. Keeping the skin on will add more flavor but also more fat (which can always be skimmed off if you feel the need.) Feel free to use chicken breasts, quartered chicken, or even a whole chicken if your instant pot is large enough. The cook time will not change! You may notice in my photo I used a boneless chicken breast because that is what I happened to have and it works just as well. The use of the chicken base helps to even out the flavors of the chicken despite which cut you use.

• I cook 2 chicken breasts but only add half of it back into the soup. I do this because I like the added flavor to the broth, but I don’t want my bowl of soup to be filled with too much chicken. Instead, I save the other half to be used for lunch or another night’s dinner. Feel free to use only 1 chicken breast, or use more if you’d like to have more shredded chicken ready.

• I remove and discard the onion and celery for the sheer fact that I don’t like soggy vegetables. The carrots are soft, but not mushy and they have a better flavor and consistency in my opinion. If you like to keep all your veggies in, then simply dice your onions and celery instead of halving them. Similarly, I throw in whole stems of parsley and dill to flavor the broth, but then discard those, adding in freshly chopped parsley and dill at the end to give the soup that fresh herby flavor.

• Cooking the matzo balls in the broth rather than salted water gives them so much more depth of flavor. The broth does become a little more cloudy, but it’s totally worth it. One thing I realized is to season with additional salt AFTER boiling the matzo balls. When I added in salt beforehand and thought the broth was to my liking, I ended up with very salty broth after the matzo balls soaked up the liquid while cooking. However, if you run into a similar situation, it’s an easy enough fix. Just add more water to dilute the broth, about 1 cup at a time

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Instant Pot Matzo Ball Soup

4.5 from 10 votes

Course: SoupsCuisine: JewishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

5

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

Calories

412

kcal

Pressurize time

30

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

30

minutes

An effortless one-pot Matzo Ball Soup filled with the delicious flavors of homemade broth and the fluffy texture of “floater” matzo balls.

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Ingredients

• [FYI – Click “Cook Mode” above to prevent your screen from going dark while making this recipe. Click the ingredient buttons below to cross them to keep track.]
• Broth

• 12 cups Water

• 3 teaspoons Chicken Base (I use Better Than Bouillon)

• 2 Chicken Breasts, Bone-in is better, Boneless is fine *(SEE NOTE BELOW)

• 4 Carrots, peeled & sliced *(SEE NOTE BELOW)

• 1 Small Onion, cut in half

• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced

• 2 Stalks Celery, halved or quartered

• 2 Sprigs Dill

• 2 Sprigs Parsley

• Matzo Balls

• 1 Packet Streit’s Matzo Ball Mix (not the ball & soup mix) (*SEE NOTE BELOW)

• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

• 2 Large Eggs

• Finishing

• 2 Tbsp Parsley, rough chop
  

• 1 Tbsp Dill, rough chop

• 1/4 tsp Salt (or more, to taste)

• 1/4 tsp Pepper

Directions

• Fill your instant pot with water, add chicken base and stir to dissolve most of the base.
• Add in chicken breasts, then veggies and herbs.
• Cover and lock the lid, making sure the vent is set to SEALING. Select “Pressure Cook”, set to High, and adjust time to 10 minutes.
• While the broth cooks, make your matzo balls according to the package directions. Using the Streit’s mix: Use a fork to whisk your vegetable oil and egg in a medium bowl. Add 1 packet of matzo mix and stir gently, just until incorporated. Don’t over mix. Set in the fridge for at least 15 minutes (it’s fine if it’s longer.)
• Once the time is up on your Instant Pot, natural release for 5 minutes and then Quick Release. *TIP IN NOTES*
• Remove herbs, celery, and onion and discard; leave the carrots.
• Remove chicken breasts and set aside to cool.
• Set your Instant Pot to the Saute function. This will allow the broth to come up to a boil.
• Take your matzo mix out. Using a small spoon or cookie scoop, scoop some mixture into your hands and gently roll into balls about the size of walnuts. A little pressure is fine but don’t squeeze them too hard. You should end up with about 10-12 matzo balls.
• Carefully drop the balls into the boiling broth and let cook for 40 minutes, leaving the lid off. Gently stir the balls once in a while to make sure they are getting cooked on all sides.
• While the matzo balls cook, shred your chicken. It should come apart really easily using two forks.
• When the matzo balls are cooked, add HALF*(see note below) of your shredded chicken back into the soup along with half of the chopped parsley and dill.
• Add your salt and pepper. Stir gently to mix together. Taste your broth! Add more salt or dilute with some water to your preference. *TIP ABOUT OVER-SALTING IN NOTES*
• Serve, garnishing your soup with additional parsley and dill if desired.

Notes

• CHICKEN – I only add HALF of the chicken back into the broth, saving the other half for lunch or another night’s dinner. You can boil only 1 chicken breast instead of 2 but I think it helps add more flavor and also serves double duty. You could also boil 3 or 4 chicken breasts if you wanted more shredded chicken ready for additional meals (as long as your IP has a large enough capacity.)
• CARROTS – If you prefer to strain your soup to have a clearer broth, don’t slice the carrots, leave them whole instead to make it easier. Once the broth is cooked, you can strain the liquid and then slice your carrots and add them back in.
  
• STREIT’S MATZO BALL MIX – The box includes 2 packets, you only need 1 for this recipe unless you’re doubling it. Ingredients listed above are per the box. If you use a different brand, follow their instructions.
• IP VENTING TIP – place a dishtowel over the vent when you turn it so the steam doesn’t sputter all over you. This freaked me out the first couple times I used my IP. I recently saw someone else mention the dishtowel trick and I will appreciate that person for the rest of time.
• SALT TIP – if you over-salt your soup, this dish is an easy fix! Simply add more water, 1 cup at a time until it’s just right for your taste.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 412kcal
• Carbohydrates: 18.2g
• Protein: 26.1g
• Fat: 14.1g
• Saturated Fat: 2.8g
• Cholesterol: 147mg
• Sodium: 1368mg
• Potassium: 245mg
• Fiber: 1.7g
• Sugar: 3.3g

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