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Spicy Matzo-Ball Soup with Trinity Vegetables and Hot Peppers





Total Time
2 hrs

Welcome to Sunset Suppers, a series of cooking videos shot by chefs and food notables in the first weeks of self-quarantine. These days everyone’s living, working, and cooking differently. That includes us here at Sunset—where our homes have become our offices/studios/test kitchens—and it includes chefs. We asked our favorite chefs in the West and beyond to turn the camera on themselves and share their tips on how to cook easy, nourishing, and comforting food with the limitations of what people have on hand. Similarly we’d like to know what and how you’re cooking, so please share your hacks and home cook victories on social media and tag it #sunsetsuppers!

Light, fluffy matzo balls, afloat in a rich chicken stock, give this classic soup a spicy kick. Tanya Holland, chef-owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen and B-Side Baking Co. in Oakland, served it as a first course for a Passover Seder.

This recipe, and others like it, can be found in the article “These 9 Tanya Holland Recipes Represent a New Soul Food for the West.”

su-Spicy Matzo-Ball Soup with Trinity Vegetables and Hot Peppers Image




Photo: Thomas J. Story

  MATZO BALLS
 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
 2 tablespoons chicken fat (skim from Roasted Chicken Stock, if you like; recipe on sunset.com) or vegetable oil
 1 cup matzo meal
 1/2 cup club soda
 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
 1/4 teaspoon pepper
 1 teaspoon Creole Spice or Creole seasoning, such as Tony Chachere's
 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  SOUP
 1 head garlic
  About 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  Pepper
  About 1 tbsp. olive oil
 2 green bell peppers, cut into 1/2-in. dice
 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-in. dice
 3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-in. dice
 4 or 5 red Fresno or large red jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
 3 qts. Roasted Chicken Stock (sunset.com) or store-bought reduced-sodium chicken stock
 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Step 1
1

Mix matzo-ball ingredients and chill, covered, 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Step 2
2

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut top off garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with some oil. Wrap in foil; roast 1 hour.

Step 3
3

In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add vegetables and 1/2 tsp. salt, cover, and cook until starting to soften, 10 minutes. Squeeze garlic from cloves into a bowl, whisk in 1/2 cup stock, and pour into vegetables with remaining stock.

Step 4
4

About 30 minutes before serving, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Using wet hands, loosely form matzo mixture into scant 1-in. balls; add to stock as you go. Simmer until cooked through, 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5
5

Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley.

Step 6
6

Make ahead: Garlic, up to 1 week, chilled. Soup through step 3, up to 2 days, chilled.

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving
Calories 228Calories from Fat 41
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g16%

Saturated Fat 2.8g14%
Cholesterol 146mg49%
Sodium 740mg31%
Total Carbohydrate 21g8%

Dietary Fiber 2.3g10%
Protein 14g29%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.