Instant Pot Matzo Ball Soup

A big bowl of Instant Pot Matzo Ball Soup is pure delicious comfort food. This soup has an amazing and flavorful broth paired with veggies and light (not dense!) homemade matzo balls. No pressure cooker? No problem! You’ll also find directions to make this soup on the stovetop.

Prepare yourself for the coziest bowl of soup that is like a hug for your stomach. This comforting recipe is very similar to our Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings, but it uses matzo meal instead of a flour and milk based-dumpling.

I’m not here to call this recipe traditional by any means. I’ve had all kinds of matzo ball soup – from the famous Canter’s Deli, to boxed mixes, to homemade from Jewish friends. And no bowl has been the same. If your Bubbe made it a different way, feel free to adapt my instructions to your family recipe.

If you are new to pressure cooking and the Instant Pot, check out this post on recipes for Instant Pot beginners.

What is Matzo?

Matzo (also spelled matzah) is a flat, unleavened bread that is a part of traditional Passover and Seder meals in the Jewish faith. Matzo meal is simply ground matzo. It has a similar texture to breadcrumbs. I have even subbed it for breadcrumbs and panko in this Air Fryer Green Bean Fries.

How Do You Make Matzo Balls From Scratch?

It’s so easy, you’ll never buy the mix again! Simply combine matzo meal with a fat (I used olive oil in this recipe), eggs, water, and sea salt. Mix and refrigerate for 30 minutes. That’s it! For full measurements and instructions, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Can I Make Matzo Balls Ahead of Time?

You sure can! The mixture is much easier to work with if it has been refrigerated for at least 30 minutes. If you’d like to prep the matzo, refrigerate it until cool, and then make the balls. Store them in an air-tight covered container for up to 24 hours prior to adding them to your Instant Pot Matzo Ball soup.

PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES

• Traditional recipes call for chicken schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), but I have replaced it with olive oil since schmaltz is not an easily found ingredient. Sometimes, I also like to use 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of melted butter to give the mixture extra flavor. BUT, please note, using butter will prevent this soup from being kosher.
• If rushed for time, you can put the matzo mixture in the freezer for 15 minutes.
• If you want to double the soup, the cook time remains the same. Make sure the ingredients don’t go above the max fill line and allow for a full natural release.
• Due to minimal seasoning, it is important to use a flavorful broth in this recipe! You can learn how to make chicken bone broth here or where to buy bone broth here.
• Make your prep even easier by learning how to freeze celery, how to freeze garlic and how to freeze onions.

MORE DELICIOUS INSTANT POT SOUPS YOU’LL LOVE

• Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
• Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
• Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Creamy White Bean Soup
• Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup
• Paleo Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Instant Pot Tortilla Soup With Rice
• Whole30 Beef Stew
• Easy Instant Pot Chicken Chili
• Instant Pot Lentil Soup
• Instant Pot Vegetable Noodle Soup
• Check out all my Instant Pot Soup Recipes

5 from 3 ratings

Instant Pot Matzo Ball Soup

By: Sarah Cook - Sustainable Cooks

Servings: 8

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 5 minutes mins

Pressurizing/Depressurizing: 45 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

This Instant Pot soup has an amazing and flavorful broth paired with veggies and light homemade matzo balls.

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Mixing bowl

Ingredients 

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Matzo Balls

• ▢ 2/3 cup matzo meal
• ▢ 3 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 eggs {beaten}
• ▢ 2 1/4 tsp water
• ▢ 1/2 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 1 tsp dried dill
• ▢ 2 tsp dried parsley

Soup

• ▢ 6 cups chicken stock
• ▢ 1 cup onion {diced}
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic {minced}
• ▢ 2 cups carrots {peeled, sliced}{~4 medium carrots}
• ▢ 1 cup celery {thinly sliced}{~2 stalks}
• ▢ 1 lb chicken breast {cut into small pieces}

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

Make the Matzo Balls

• Combine the matzo ball ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2/3 cup matzo meal, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 eggs, 2 1/4 tsp water, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp dried dill, 2 tsp dried parsley
• Roll cold matzo mix into 1 inch balls. Set aside.

Make the Soup

• Add the chicken stock, carrots, celery, garlic, onions, and diced chicken to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine.
  6 cups chicken stock, 1 cup onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 cups carrots, 1 cup celery, 1 lb chicken breast
• Add the matzo balls to the broth.
• Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>5 minutes. 
• When the Instant Pot has finished cooking, it will beep and switch to ”keep warm". Allow it to sit with the lid on for 15 minutes and then do a manual release with the nozzle set to venting.

Stovetop Instructions

• Bring the chicken stock, carrots, celery, garlic, onions, and diced chicken to a boil in a soup pot.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and carefully drop the matzo balls into the soup.
• Cover tightly and simmer for ~35 minutes, or until everything is cooked through.

Notes

Traditional recipes call for chicken schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), but I have replaced it with olive oil since schmaltz is not an easily found ingredient. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 262kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 20gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 518mgPotassium: 591mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 5486IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Fusion

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