The Matzo Ball, Reinvented (With Almond Flour)

ACTIVE PREP TIME: 5 MIN TO PREPARE THE MIXTURE
PASSIVE PREP TIME: 1 HR TO REFRIGERATE THE MIXTURE

One of the hallmarks of the Passover seder is matzo ball soup. This traditional Ashkenazi food is almost always made from matzo meal. However, people who are celiac or gluten-sensitive, or who choose not to eat wheat, are not able to partake in this holiday indulgence. Additionally, although matzo is a big part of Passover and should be enjoyed on seder night, matzo balls are just one more dense, carbohydrate-heavy, fiber-less food to digest so late at night.

Traditional Matzo Balls Are Very Unhealthy

And then there are the additives: Nearly all Passover soup mixes contain salt, sugar, cottonseed oil and MSG, in addition to either matzo meal or potato starch. The sodium content in particular is sky-high, with as much as 590mg per teaspoon! Examples abound: 1,290mg/Tbsp, 350mg/Tbsp (1 matzo ball), 1,040mg/Tbsp (1 cup) and 1,770mg/Tbsp.

A Healthy Alternative Made From Almond Flour

The good news? You can easily make a delicious-tasting substitute for matzo balls using almond flour. These are simple, tasty and, with some added mint, rather refreshing.

Please note: The flour we use in this recipe is the Kirkland brand from Costco. There is a difference in consistency between brands. It also matters whether the product is almond flour or almond meal.

The Recipe

• 2 cups almond flour (not almond meal)

• 4 eggs

• 1/8 cup water (optional: use club soda for more fluffiness)

• 1/2 tsp dill weed

• 1/2 tsp dried mint leaves

• 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

The Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with all ingredients except almond flour

2. Stir in almond flour

3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour

4. Wet your hands with a little bit of water

5. Shape batter into 1-inch balls

6. Add balls to a pot of cooking chicken soup about 20 minutes before the soup is done

7. Let simmer for 20 minutes

Initially, the flavor will feel unfamiliar. Let the experience sink in. It is liberating.

Sugar Baby Pumpkin Soup

ACTIVE PREP TIME: 35-40 MIN

A Family Tradition of Pumpkins

When I was in second grade, my home economics class made pumpkin bread for Thanksgiving. I brought home a six-inch-long loaf, shared it with my family and a decades-long tradition was born. Without fail, since 1981, my mother and both sisters have continued baking this recipe every November and December. I cannot forget the image of melted chocolate chips running all over our fingers as we gobbled down the first steaming slices prior to our Thanksgiving guests arriving. To this day, no Thanksgiving is complete without the scintillating aroma of cloves, cinnamon and allspice wafting throughout my parents house while the loaves bake.

Unlike other members of the hard squash family, such as red kuri, butternut or acorn, a pumpkin does not have a particularly assertive flavor. Interestingly, the festive holiday-like flavors come from the spices mixed into it, a mix known as “pumpkin spice”. You can find the recipe here.

Pumpkins: Their Nutritional Benefits

At first glance, pumpkins might appear to be merely a fun seasonal food. But dig a little deeper and you will realize how much nutritional value and culinary diversity a pumpkin packs. Both the pumpkin puree and the pumpkin seeds are edible and can be cooked into a huge assortment of recipes. Although it is tempting to purchase canned pumpkin purée, baking your own fresh pumpkin is always healthier. We purchase our pumpkins from Underwood Farms (based in Moorpark).

Besides the traditional pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice lattes that fill our Instagram feeds and dominate newsprint this time of year, pumpkin can be added to a host of delicious recipes. This includes soups, savory dishes, smoothies, homemade ice cream and pancakes. It is definitely not a one-trick-pony. And don’t forget about the roasted seeds!

Pumpkins are packed with vitamins and minerals. They are a very good source of potassium, magnesium and zinc in the diet. They also contain the powerful antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as beta-carotene, which converts into copious amounts of vitamin A in your body and gives the pumpkin its signature orange color.

Why Make Pumpkin Soup?

Fast forward to 2019. Rather than baking that luscious pumpkin bread with refined flour and sugar, we have updated the tradition into a delicious pumpkin soup.

Why a soup? Soup is very hydrating. It is also easy to digest, so it is an excellent way to gets lots of vitamins and nutrients. And it makes your insides feel warm and comfortable on those cold winter days. Even in SoCal.

The Recipe

• 1 sugar baby pumpkin, baked in the oven on parchment paper at 350°F until soft

• 1 big Hannah sweet potato (or 2 medium-sized potatoes), peeled and diced

• 1 medium onion (preferably yellow)

• 8 cups water

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

• 1/3 cup raw unfiltered honey

• Pinch of sea salt (plus more to taste)

The 6 Steps To Making Pumpkin Soup

1. In a large pan, sauté the onion in avocado oil until they are transparent.

2. To a large saucepan, add the onions and 4 cups of boiling water. Throw in the potato and let boil for 10 minutes.

3. Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Set the seeds aside to be roasted. Add the pumpkin to the saucepan. Add more water if needed to cover the pumpkin.

4. Toss in cinnamon, pumpkin spice and salt.

5. Boil for 5 minutes.

6. Remove from heat, let cool for a few minutes, then blend with a hand blender.

Making Soup With Other Squashes: Red Kuri, Butternut

For this recipe, we used a sugar baby pumpkin. It is smaller than a carving pumpkin and has a sweeter, less grainy and more pulpy interior. But this recipe works very well with a variety of hard-skinned squashes, not just pumpkin. We’ve also made this soup with red kuri and butternut squash. These squashes yield a nuttier flavor, which is quite delicious. The texture and warming sensation are the same.

RED KURI SQUASH (CENTER), BUTTERNUT SQUASH (RIGHT) AND DELICATA SQUASH (LEFt)