Quick Vegan Matzo
Matzo ball soup is one of my all time favorite soups in the world! Finding it veganized on a menu is a pretty difficult task, so I took to jogging the way-back-when corners of my memory to remember exactly how this comfort soup tastes, and I was impressed with the results. Vegan matzo ball soup is easily within reach, you will be shocked how simple this is!
If you are looking for a traditional matzo ball soup, this is not it. This is a 100% vegan take on the classic, with a few sneaky healthy bits and matzo balls that are a bit smaller than what you usually see. Also, this is a very quick vegan matzo ball soup, so you will not be cooking for hours. I wanted to be able to make it during lunch and not loose a lot of the day in the kitchen.
Depending on what resources you have, you can cheat a little a use a vegan-friendly chicken stock and make this recipes even quicker, though I do recommend not skipping adding the veggies – just for good measure.
Flax Eggs
Magical, mystical flax seeds! One teaspoon of flax seed a day can significantly reduce the chances of different cancers. It’s a very powerful little guy, but don’t forget to grind them up, or you wont absorb their benefits – and you also wont get that “eggy” texture we need to bind the matzo balls. How I make a flax egg is very simple. You need two “eggs” for your matzo balls, so you will take two table spoons of ground flax seeds and combine with six tablespoons of filtered water, mix well and let sit for fifteen minutes.
Make sure to let the flax seeds sit the whole fifteen minutes, that’s where the magic happens. Once the time has passed you will noticed you now have a gooey thick, sludge. These are your eggs! Don’t get freaked ou if this is new to you, you won’t taste them or even notice them in your matzo balls.
This is optional, but if you have black salt (kala namak), add a1/2 teaspoon to your flax egg and mix well. This will add a slightly eggy flavor to your matzo ball, if you like that sort of thing.
Matzo Meal
I don’t have matzo meal available to me, so I very quickly and easily make my matzo meal from matzo crackers. I grind up a whole box, and get just the right amount of matzo balls for this recipe. I put the dry crackers in a blender and pulse between 4-6 times until I don’t have any large chunks left. You don’t want it to be too fine, you want texture to it. The flax seed eggs need something to bind on to that has a little texture.
Vegan Chicken Stock
Again, your location is going to play a roll into what you have available to you. Here are some I have used and loved:
-Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian Chicken Base
-Not Chick’n bouillon cubes by Edward & Sons
-Trader Joe’s Vegan Chicken-Less Seasoning Salt can be combined with a vegan broth
Personally, I find myself making vegan chicken stock, but if you are looking to be quick, these are all excellent options.
Veggies
Carrot and celery are my faves, and sometimes I throw in a small amount of chickpeas. I think these work best, but you can also do very tiny potato chunks if you are looking to use up some potatoes. Honestly I have only ever seen matzo ball soup done with the balls + carrots + celery and sometimes with chicken chunks and the very rare occasion noodles. But, you do what works for you.
Dill
Don’t forget the dill! Seriously. This dish has one of my favorite flavor combinations and when you skip the dill you miss out so much!
Good Lookin’ Out
This recipe makes 12 matzo balls, so that means you may have some left over. These freeze amazingly well, and all you have to do it put them into a gentle rolling vegan chicken stock to warm them back up for 15-20 minutes. It’s so quick and easy and we always blow thew them very quickly because they are delicious and comforting!
Quick Vegan Matzo
Quick and easy matzo ball soup, made vegan.
Ingredients
- 1 box of matzo crackers
- 2 carrots, cleaned and cut into 1/8 inch cubes
- 1 celery stick, cleaned and sliced into 1/8 inch thick slices
- 1/4 cup of chickpeas
- 1 tbsp of dry dill + a pinch
- small bunch of thyme
- 1/2 tsp black salt/kala namak (optional)
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed (must be ground)
- 6 tbsp water
- 4 quarts vegan chicken broth (see post for suggestions)
- parsley for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by mixing your flax with your water. Mix well and add your black salt if you have chosen to use it. Set aside for 15 minutes or until you see it start to turn into a gel-like texture.
- Next, using the pulse mode of your blender, pule your whole box of matzo crackers. Pulse 5-6 times to get the right consistency. You don't want to get a powdery meal. If you have matzo meal, you can skip this step.
- Once your flax eggs are done resting, in a large bowl, combine your flax egg, matzo meal, salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of dill. Mix with your hands until well combined. It should feel tacky. If it's too dry, you can add a tablespoon of water to make it more pliable.
- In a large pot, boil your vegan chicken stock then add carrots, celery and chickpeas.
- While your vegan chicken stock is boiling, make your matzo balls. My tip is to make them small and tight so you can avoid needing them to rest int he fridge. See photos for size reference. This makes about 12, which means you can freeze 1/2 for later.
- Add the thyme, rest of your dill and matzo balls to the rolling boil and then reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and garnish with parsley if desired.
- Enjoy!
If enjoyed this meal let me know what you think by leaving a ★★★★★ star rating and comment below with any questions or feedback. These are two small things that add up to a ton of support, which I really appreciate. Also show off your pics to me on instagram by tagging @theveganholidayblog and #veganholidaypic – I am excited to see your meals!