Ingredients
Scale
For the soup:
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste
- 16 fresh shiitake mushrooms, thoroughly washed, stems and caps separated and caps sliced
- 1–1 1½ tsp salt, to taste
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 medium carrots, cut into chunks
- 1 large parsnip, cut into chunks
- 1 yellow onion, unpeeled, quartered
- 1 red onion, unpeeled, quartered
- 3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
- 1 head of garlic, unpeeled, cut in half width wise
- 1 bunch of fresh dill
- 1 bunch of parsley
For the matzah balls:
- 1 pack of matzah ball mix, prepared according to directions
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Add the sliced shiitake mushroom caps, stir well and cook for another minute.
- Add 10 cups water, salt, turmeric and pepper (don’t add all the salt at once here, you can adjust to taste later).
- Place the shiitake stems, carrots, parsnip, onions, celery, garlic, dill and parsley in a cheese cloth. Tie it well with kitchen twine and place it in the soup pot. Bring to a boil and let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 1 hour. The broth should be ready and should be flavorful. If it’s not, continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes.
- While soup cooks, prepare the matzah balls following the package instructions.
- Remove cheesecloth from the soup and place it in a colander with a bowl underneath. Squeeze as much liquid as you can from the cheesecloth and pour it into the soup pot (the liquid will be hot, so use a wooden spoon or another utensil). Discard vegetables.
- Prepare matzah ball according to directions on the box, and chill in fridge for 30 minutes. Or, you can make a homemade version like this.
- Place the matzah balls directly into the broth and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Ashkenazi