BA’s Best Matzo Ball Soup

Dubbed “Jewish penicillin” by bubbes and zaydes everywhere, matzo ball soup has devotees. But fans who grew up eating the comfort food favorite tend to have firmly set opinions. Some love “floaters,” or light, fluffy matzo balls; others prefer “sinkers,” a denser style of dumplings. This version meets the two camps in the middle, with matzo balls that are rich and flavorful (thanks to the addition of schmaltz, a.k.a. rendered chicken fat) and tender and light (thanks to a splash of seltzer or club soda). It’ll win you over too, especially if it’s your first time making it.

The only leavening here is beaten eggs—mix them thoroughly into the matzo meal batter so the balls plump evenly. The batter needs time to hydrate before you can form the balls; refrigerate it for at least a few hours (up to overnight) until it transforms into a workable dough. We cook the matzo balls in salted, gently boiling water, not chicken broth. This ensures the balls are perfectly seasoned and leaves you with a beautifully clear soup broth. (For more tips, check out this helpful guide.)

About that broth: There’s a whole chicken in there. It’s cut into parts so you can easily pull out the breast meat—which cooks faster than the rest of the bird—early on and save it to garnish the finished soup, along with freshly simmered carrots and sprigs of dill. Everything else remains (bones and all) and simmers for hours, enriching the homemade chicken stock with concentrated flavor and body. Take one sip for anything that ails you.