Deli Chicken Soup Recipe

Unlike my Old-Fashioned Chicken Soup, which uses a whole chicken and vegetables, this recipe is the perfect shortcut. I use Streit’s Matzo Ball and Soup Mix instead.

The soup mix has just the right blend of seasonings, and the matzo balls puff up perfectly every time. It has restaurant flavor and a salty taste that will put you right in a seat at NYC's Second Avenue Deli.

All you need is water, eggs, and oil. I dress it up with a little cooked chicken, sliced carrots, and egg noodles. It’s almost as easy as going to the deli, but you don’t have to leave the house!

What's a Matzo Ball?

A matzo ball is a dumpling made from matzo meal (ground up matzoh), eggs, water, and oil. Matzo balls are soft and fluffy and cook right in the soup.

Matzo is unleavened bread traditionally eaten during Passover, a springtime holiday that usually falls in late March or April.

Streit's Matzo Ball & Soup Mix

You can get Streit's Matzoh Ball and Soup Mix in most grocery stores in the ethnic food aisle or on Amazon.

In the box, you'll find 2 packets. One is labeled Soup and the other Matzo.

When simmered in chicken soup, the matzo balls soak up the broth. The texture is fluffy or dense, depending on the recipe and cooking time.

There are directions on the box that are just right, but I like to add carrots and noodles to the soup so I've altered it a bit.

Streit's also makes a Gluten Free Mix that is equally as good.

Ingredients

• 1 box of Streit's Matzo Ball Mix & Soup Mix
• 2 cups diced skinless cooked chicken (leftovers or rotisserie)
• 3-4 peeled carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 cups cold water
• 2 cups fine or medium egg noodles (optional)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish

How To Make Deli Chicken Soup

Makes 2 quarts of soup, about 6 servings. If you are serving more than 6 people, make a double batch.

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs and vegetable oil.
• Stir in the bag labeled “Matzo” until combined.
• Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.
• Bring 10 cups (2 ½ quarts) of cold water to a boil. Add the soup packet and stir until dissolved.
• Wet your hands and form the matzo ball mix into 6 equal balls. I use a #67 Hamilton Beach ice cream scoop (about 0.5 oz), but you can eyeball it.
• Drop the matzo balls into the boiling water. Add the carrots and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
• Simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes.
• Remove the lid and stir in the noodles and chicken. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a matzo ball, some carrots, chicken, and noodles to each.
• Garnish with chopped curly parsley.
• Serve hot.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftovers in and airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat, warm the broth in a pot over medium heat. Add the matzo balls, carrots, and noodles and heat until everything is hot, about 5 minutes.

To freeze, place the cooled soup in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove.

Top Tips

• Shopping: Make sure you get Matzo Ball and Soup Mix. There. is an almost identical box on the shelf that is just Matzo ball mix.
• Making matzo balls: Don’t skip the chill time for the matzo balls. Chilling helps them hold their shape. Matzo mix is sticky, so dampen your hands before forming each ball.
• Cooking the soup: Use a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil when cooking the soup. Keep the lid on tight while the matzo balls cook. Steam helps them puff up.
• Chicken: If you have leftover chicken, either white or dark, roasted, poached, or rotisserie, chop it up and add it to the soup at the end to heat it up. To cook chicken for this soup, visit our Poached Chicken Recipe. Do not add raw chicken to this soup. It doesn't cook long enough to fully cook the meat. Cook the chicken first, then dice or shred it before adding it at the end.

• Noodles: You can pick up egg noodles next to the chicken soup in the kosher section of your market. They are available year-round and come in fine (used here) and wide sizes. You can use either one. Italian pasta is good for many things, but the egg noodles taste best in chicken soup.
• Leftovers? Store in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. You can freeze this soup for a few weeks in an air-tight container.

Chicken Soup Recipes

While this soup is so easy to make, inexpensive, and uses up left over chicken, if you have a cold, you need a little Jewish penicillin. Try these chicken soup recipes made with whole chickens and lots of veggies to get you better in no time!

• To make a wholesome pot of chicken soup with a whole chicken, leeks, onions, parsley, carrots, celery, and all the good stuff, try my Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Chicken Soup recipe.
• If you’re using an Instant Pot, check out my Instant Pot Whole Chicken Soup. While the soup cooks, make crispy chicken skin on the side. It’s a delicacy you’ll never see on a restaurant menu—because the chef is too busy eating it in the back!

No Deli? No Problem!

When you live in the Keys with no deli, you’ve got to make the deli and bring it home. For more deli-style favorites, check out our Deli Recipes and bring the taste of the old-school delicatessen and the bagel store to your own kitchen.

• Sweet Coleslaw
• Macaroni Salad
• Veggie Tuna Salad
• Egg Salad
• Baked Salmon Salad
• Cranberry Apple Tuna Salad (Whole Foods copycat)

For more easy, feel-good recipes and lots of fresh fish and seafood, visit our Recipe Index and find your next favorite dish. You'll love the selection!