How To Make Matzo Ball Soup: 5 Delicious Passover Seder Recipes For The Jewish Holiday

When it comes to the Passover seder, everyone wants the perfect matzo ball soup that reminds them of their grandmother's cooking. Vegetables and chicken are delicious additions, but what really matters here is the matzo ball. The best recipes yield the ideal ball: light enough to float, dense enough to fill you up.

The seder is a ritual feast celebrating the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is held at sundown usually in late March or early April. The first Passover seder will be held Friday night this year. The traditional meal is a time to recall the liberation of the Israelites in ancient Egypt.

Matzo balls are made from eggs, matzo meal, schmaltz, club soda and salt. Combine the ingredients and let the mixture chill for at least 2 hours. Add the balls to water at a gentle simmer. If the heat is too high, they will fall apart.

The question of size is a very personal decision. Do you want one big ball in the middle of each bowl? Several medium balls? As for us, we prefer small, fluffy balls, but everyone is different.

Then there's the secret tips chefs rarely like to divulge. Do you skim the fat off the top? Add bay leafs to the broth? Put ice cubes in the broth to keep the balls from overcooking? How far in advance should you make the soup?

To help make a winning dish, we gathered five of the best Passover seder recipes for matzo ball soup below.

1. Martha Stewart's recipe calls for parsnips and fresh dill.

2. Bon Appetit uses a whole chicken in its matzo ball soup.

3. This New York Times recipe leans heavily on horseradish.

4. Smitten Kitchen is a fan of the complex, earthy broth.

5. This recipe shows you how to let your crock pot do all the work.