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overhead photo of a bowl of vegan matzo ball soup

Vegan Matzo Ball Soup

Perfect for Passover, this vegan matzo ball soup is sure to be a hit year after year. Egg-free vegan matzo balls in a savory chicken-style soup will bring back the holiday memories from when you were a kid!
4.2 from 9 votes
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Sarah Sullivan

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Ingredients

Matzo Balls

  • 2 cups matzo meal (not matzo ball mix)
  • 1/2 cup potato starch or cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Matzo Ball Soup

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion diced
  • 3 stalks celery sliced
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
  • 8 cups chick'n style vegetable broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cups shredded vegan chicken optional; see notes
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice from about half a small lemon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill

Instructions

Mix and Shape the Matzo Balls

  • Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together matzo meal, potato starch, baking powder, (optional) garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  • Add wet ingredients: Pour in water, oil, and applesauce. Mix everything together until evenly combined.
  • Chill the dough: Cover the matzo ball mixture and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Don't skip this step; the matzo meal needs time to hydrate.

Prepare the Soup

  • Sauté aromatics: While the matzo ball mixture chills, you can get the soup started. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat until it glistens. Add diced onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until translucent. Add celery and carrot and sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  • Simmer the soup: Pour in chick'n style vegetable broth, add in bay leaves and (optional) shredded vegan chicken, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 20 minutes — but you can keep it at a low simmer for as long as you like until ready to serve.

Cook the Matzo Balls

  • Roll the matzo balls: Bring a separate pot of water to a gentle boil. While the water heats, roll out the matzo balls, roughly the size of golf balls (about 2 tablespoons). Lightly grease your hands or dip them in water to keep the mixture from sticking. The matzo balls will get expand when cooked so don't make them too big at this stage.
  • Cook matzo balls: Once the water is boiling, reduce to medium-low to establish a bare simmer. A rolling boil will make the matzo balls fall apart, so keep adjusting the heat as needed to keep the simmer nice and gentle. Add the matzo balls and simmer for 15 minutes. When done, use a slotted spoon to lift the matzo balls out of the water and transfer them to the soup pot.

Serve the Matzo Ball Soup

  • Give the soup broth a taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Stir in fresh chopped herbs just prior to serving, along with fresh lemon juice.
  • To serve, garnish each individual bowl with fresh chopped dill, parsley and/or chives. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe update history: Revised 01/26. Increased starch and slightly decreased liquid for firmer matzo balls.
Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.