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Turkey Matzo Ball Soup Recipe

Recipe by: Chef John

"Soup is always an obvious choice for leftover turkey. And while I'm pleased with my matzo ball skills, I'm not sure how truly authentic these are, although mine are quite light and tender."

Directions
Ingredients
Nutrition

Directions

Prep20 m
Cook3 h 45 m
Ready In4 h 5 m

1Place leftover turkey (meat, bones, skin) into a stock pot. Add 1 chopped onion and 2 ribs chopped celery and water or chicken broth (or half of each). Bring to a simmer over high heat; reduce heat to low and continue to cook at a low simmer. Skim off scum as it forms, but don't remove any fat. Cook until broth is rich and any turkey meat has been rendered flavorless, about 3 hours. While broth cooks, skim off fat as it rises to the surface and save it in a bowl. Save about 4 tablespoons turkey fat.
2After removing surface fat, strain broth into a bowl.
3Lightly whisk 2 eggs in a separate mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons cooled rendered turkey fat and whisk to mix. Whisk in salt, pepper, and cayenne. Mix in seltzer water. Add matzo meal and mix with a fork until mixture begins to thicken up, 1 or 2 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
4Heat 2 tablespoons turkey fat in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 cup diced onions, 1/2 cup diced carrots, 1/2 cup diced celery, and salt. Cook until onions start to turn translucent, 6 or 7 minutes. Add sliced garlic and cook an additional minute. Add turkey broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Check seasoning and adjust salt, if necessary.
5Divide matzo ball dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball using your wet hands.
6Bring a pot of salted cold water to a boil. Gently place matzo balls into the boiling water. Reduce heat so they simmer gently; cover the pot. Simmer until matzo balls are cooked through, about 30 minutes, adjusting heat as they cook so a gentle simmer continues. Transfer to hot serving bowls, 2 per serving.
7Stir freshly chopped parsley and dill into soup. Ladle hot soup over the matzo balls.

Footnotes

Cook's Note:
My turkey was already very well seasoned, so I didn't need to add much to the stockpot. You can adjust your broth according, and can certainly add things like bay leaf, thyme springs, parsley stems, etc.

Ingredients