Matzo Ball Pozole
It’s finally under 90 degrees in Houston…. you know what that means! Bring on the soup! I had so much fun writing this recipe for a project I was working on last month, I just had to share it with you. I’ve always been a lover of matzo ball soup, and the combination of that timeless recipe and Mexican pozole was a dream come true.
The origins of matzo ball soup can be easily traced. It’s a staple of Jewish cuisine and culture; it is the ultimate comfort food, the one your grandma did not let you get up from the table without slurping up every last drop. Matzo ball soup has a rich history and is traditionally served on Jewish holidays. Pozole is also a beloved dish with a storied history. It was considered a sacred dish due to the use of large hominy kernels. Due to the belief that humans were made by the corn gods, in Mexican Aztec history corn was considered a sacred plant. Therefore, Aztecs cooked pozole only on special occasions.
While tracing ties of Jewish culture in Mexico for the project I was working on, I found out many Jewish people in Mexico combine these two traditional recipes into one; thus Matzo Ball Pozole was born, and is typically served on holidays and special occasions. I decided it would be fun to make my own version and it turned out better than I could have hoped! I hope next time you are looking to try something new, you will give this cultural recipe mashup a go! You won’t regret it!
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Matzo Ball Pozole
Equipment
- 1 stock pot
- 1 pressure cooker
- 1 food processor or blender
Ingredients
Broth
- 1 Roasting Chicken
- 1 Large onion, unpeeled, quartered
- 2 Carrots, halved
- 2 Celery ribs, halved
- 1 Parsley bunch stems and leaves
- 1 Leek, halved
- 1 Bay leaf
- salt and pepper
- 12 Cups water
Matzo Balls
- 1 box Manischewitz matzo ball mix
Pozole
- 4-5 Dried Guajillo Peppers
- 4-5 Dried Ancho Chiles
- 5 Carrots, sliced at an angle
- 5 Stalks of Celery, sliced at an angle
Garnish
- Radish, sliced
- Cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges
- Avocado, sliced
- Tortilla chips
- Cabbage, shredded
Instructions
Broth:
- Pressure cooker method: Place roaster chicken in a pressure cooker along with the other stock ingredients and cover with water. Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes to an hour. While this pressure cooks, move on to steps listed below. Then, remove the chicken and de-bone it. Strain the broth using a fine mesh strainer.
- Add the chicken back in.
Matzo Balls:
- While the stock is cooking, make the matzo balls according to box instructions and chill in refrigerator.
Pozole:
- While the stock is cooking, make the Chile sauce. Cut open your dried chilies and remove all the seeds and stems. Boil the chilies in water until they become soft, about 20 minutes. Next, add them to a blender or food processor, and process until a smooth paste.
Putting it all together:
- Once the stock is done and strained, place it into a large stock pot. Bring it to a simmer and add in 3-5 tablespoons of your chili paste, depending on the spice level you desire. Bring the broth to a low simmer and add in the sliced carrots, celery, and hominy. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper. Once the carrots reach desired consistency (about 10-15 minutes), add in the cooked matzo balls. Serve pozole with any/all of the garnishes!
Notes
2 cups celery (about 3/4 – 1 bunch), roughly chopped, leaves left on
2 sweet yellow onions, roughly chopped, peelings and skin on
3 cups carrots (about 6 pieces), roughly chopped
1 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 parsnip, chopped (optional)
6 sprigs fresh thyme
6-8 garlic cloves
3-5 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
6-8 whole black peppercorns
1 bunch of fresh parsley
2 tbsp. olive oil
14 cups water Directions 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Very ROUGHLY chop all vegetables and toss with olive oil. Place the vegetables in a roasting pan and place in oven. You want to roast the carrots, onion, celery, tomato, and parsnips until they caramelize for about 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through. Every oven is different so make sure to keep an eye on them.
3. When the vegetables are done, place them in a pressure cooker with the rest of the ingredients and cook on high for 20 minutes. Let the pressure cooker depressurize naturally.
4. Strain the broth to separate the stock from the vegetables. Any stock you aren’t going to use within the next 3-4 days, freeze.
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