Yemeni Chicken Matzo Ball Soup

Name: Yemeni Chicken Matzo Ball Soup
Yield: 6 - 8 Servings
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. ground cumin; 1 Tbsp. ground coriander; 1 Tbsp. ground turmeric; 1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp. ground cardamom; ½ tsp. ground cloves; 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken drumsticks (about 2 lb.), patted dry; Kosher salt; 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil; 1 large onion, cut into ½" pieces; 1 head of garlic, most of outermost skins removed, roots trimmed; ½ small butternut squash, peeled, cut into 2" pieces; 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1¼ lb.), peeled, cut into 2" pieces; 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2" pieces; 2 celery stalks, cut into 1" pieces; 2 dried bay leaves; 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth; ½ tsp. ground cumin; ½ tsp. ground turmeric; ½ cup finely chopped cilantro; 4 large eggs; ¼ cup vegetable oil; 2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro; 2 tsp. dried fenugreek leaves, crushed, or ¾ tsp. ground fenugreek seeds; 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup matzo meal

By Einat Admony

March 16, 2021

Yemeni chicken matzo ball soup recipe from chef Einat Admony

Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime

Chef Einat Admony, chef-owner of Taïm Falafel in New York and D.C., grew up eating this Yemeni chicken soup every Friday, and her family had a special version for Passover. “For seders at my old restaurant, Balaboosta,” Admony writes, “I served a riff on it along with other dishes that combine the cultures of Ashkenazi Jews in Eastern Europe and Mizrahi Jews in the Middle East and North Africa. Showcasing the flavors of where I come from serves as a bridge between Jewish cultures.” Admony likes to make the soup itself ahead of time; she then uses a portion of the broth to cook the matzo balls just before serving, which prevents them from getting mushy.

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