Matzah Ball Soup for the Undeprived Vegetarian

A recent tweet from a food blogger, asking for a vegetarian substitute for Matzah ball soup, inspired me to sit down and finally put to paper my recipe for Butternut Squash Matzah Ball Soup. I grew up eating homemade soup everyday.  It was, mostly, chicken soup.  Beef, Lamb, or Goat were mainly Shabbat and Holiday treats. Passover is reminiscent of the pungent aroma of the lamb soup slowly simmering in a huge aluminum pot on the stovetop. Lamb and Goat are distinctively malodorous—to put it mildly—while cooking.  But, perfumed with a generous addition of the aromatic Howaige, our traditional spice mixture, we found it very tasty.  I especially loved the Passover preparation. For the Seder meal, Matzah was broken into small shards straight into the pot of the hot broth.  Spicy hot condiment, Hilbeh (Fenugreek sauce), was mixed into this viscous gruel, which was surprisingly delicious.  This dish definitely makes the case for not judging a book by its cover. More than just satisfying, the vegetarian substitute, I am offering here, is wholesomely delectable.

Mixin’ traditions in the U.S., I have served Matzah ball soup spiced with Howaige and added chopped cilantro to the Matzah balls.  When I became pescatarian, I missed Matzah ball soup, the ultimate Jewish comfort food.  As necessity is the mother of all inventions, I substituted the hearty butternut squash for the meat.  It underwent adjustments and tweaking over the years, the most recent of which—inspired by a recipe in the Washington Post’s Food Section— is substituting the garlic and cilantro in the Matzah balls with a cilantro-pumpkinseed pesto to which I added some of my tradition’s spices.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Matzah Ball Soup

1.         Vegetable Stock (or store-bought):

Braise in 2-Tbsp. olive oil in a large stockpot for 5 minutes:

3 stalks broccoli, peeled, optional (I save the stalks for stocks)

2 onions, quartered,

6 garlic cloves

1 parsnip, scrubbed or peeled

2 carrots, scrubbed or peeled

green leaves of leek, washed

1-2 bay leaf

2.         Spice bag:

While vegetables are braising, place these spices in a cloth spice bag, such as ‘Wrap ‘n Boil,’ and crush gently with a pestle, to release their aroma and flavor:

½ tsp. coriander

½ tsp whole black pepper

½ tsp. cumin seeds

a slice of fresh ginger

Place spice bag in the pot with braised vegetables and wine and add water to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil, lower flame, and simmer until tender.  Strain stock.

3.         Matzah Balls

While stock is simmering, prepare the Matzah Balls.

Use your favorite recipe, or from a box.

After you prepare the Matzah balls, add a heaping 1 Tbsp.  cilantro-pumpkinseed pesto*.  Mix well to combine.  Refrigerate for 15 min., or until you are ready to use.  This can be done a day in advance.

4.         Butternut Squash and Leek

Braise in two Tbsp. olive oil in a pot:

1 tray cubed butternut squash, 20 oz.

1 leek, white part, ¼ “ slices

Add:

8 cups of liquid — all vegetable stock or a combination of vegetable stock and water;

½-1  tsp. turmeric; and

2 tsp. salt.

Bring to a boil and simmer until squash is almost ready.  Adjust seasoning by adding salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste.

Add Matzah balls and simmer until cooked.

Before serving, add ½ bunch cilantro, leaves and thin stalks, to the hot soup in the pot.

Cilantro-Pumpkinseed Pesto:

½ cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds

2 garlic cloves

½ tsp. Kosher sea salt

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

¼ tsp. coriander

¼ tsp. cumin seeds

¼ tsp. black pepper corns

few dashes of red pepper flakes, optional

1.      Spread shelled pumpkim seeds on a baking sheet.  Place on middle rack in oven.  Turn oven to 350° F.  Bake until seeds release their fragrance, about 10 minutes.  Take out of oven and let cool on a rack.  Keep an eye on seeds while roasting.

1.  While seeds are roasting, place garlic, salt, and spices in a mortar and use pestle to crush into a paste.  Add the seeds and grind to a coarse meal consistency.  Add oil and incorporate all ingredients with the pestle.
2. Taste and adjust flavor.

Tips and Suggestions:

*You can make this soup from scratch or make semi-homemade.

*Use store-bought vegetable Stock prepared or follow your favorite recipe.

Inspire and Be Inspired!