Matzo Ball Soup With Veggies And Shiitake Mushrooms Vegan And Vegetarian Options

Vegan or vegetarian matzo ball soup for Passover.
Less than 200 calories per serving!

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This Italian Girl LOVES Matzo Ball Soup
For some reason Jews and Italians seem to live in the same neighborhoods in Brooklyn. At least that was the case in Borough Park and Ocean Parkway, two of the neighborhoods I lived in as a child. I was introduced to matzo balls at an early age and have always loved them. I usually don't think about them until Passover comes around and the shelves in the local supermarkets are stocked with matzo meal which immediately triggers a pavlovian response. 

This was the case this week when I bought a big container of matzo meal. I wanted to create a vegan matzo ball for those of you who avoid all animal products. For my readers who enjoy eggs (so many of you raise happy and well cared for chickens), I'll also include a recipe that uses real eggs instead of flax eggs.

Nutritionally, the vegan matzo balls have slightly fewer calories, zero cholesterol, 16 times the omega-3 fatty acid, and more the fiber. The vegetarian matzo balls have more protein. With either one, a serving of soup with 3 matzo balls has less than 200 calories.

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Matzo Ball Soup with Veggies and Shiitake Mushrooms
Vegan or Vegetarian Options
[makes 6 servings]
Requires a 5-quart Dutch oven or large soup pot with cover

For the soup
8 cups veggie broth*
2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped onion
6 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
1 small turnip, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* Instead of veggie broth, you can use 8 cups of water and 1 whole Rapunzel Vegan Bouillon Cube with Herbs.

For the vegan matzo balls
3 tablespoons ground golden flax seeds
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water (divided)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup matzo meal (do NOT use matzo meal mix)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

For vegetarian matzo balls
3 fresh eggs from happy chickens
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup matzo meal (do NOT use matzo meal mix)
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

To make the soup, fill a 5-quart Dutch oven or large soup pot with all of the soup ingredients. Set aside.

Soup ingredients

To make the vegan matzo balls, make flax eggs in a medium bowl by mixing the ground flax seeds with 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of room temperature water. Beat until gooey, about a minute.

Flax egg

After the "eggs" are nice and gooey, stir in 1/2 cup of water and olive oil. 

(If you are making the vegetarian matzo balls, you would use 3 fresh eggs instead of making the flax eggs. First beat the eggs, then add 1/2 cup of water and olive oil.)

Add the matzo meal, baking powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried parsley.

(If you are making the vegetarian matzo balls, notice that the amount of baking powder is reduced from 1 1/2 teaspoons to 1/2 teaspoon.)

Mix until completely combined and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the soup and veggies to a boil.

Let rest for 10 minutes while soup is coming to a boil.

Divide the matzo mixture into 18 pieces and roll them into small matzo balls. If they get sticky and hard to handle, wet your hands. 

Drop the matzo balls into the boiling soup. Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Do not stir or disturb during the soup during this time, other than occasionally peeking in.

Serve while hot and enjoy!

Per serving of soup with 3 vegan matzo balls: 171 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 840 mg omega-3 and 694 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 4 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, and 782 mg sodium*.

Per serving of soup (using a bouillon cube) with 3 vegetarian matzo balls: 184 calories, 8 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 93 mg cholesterol, 58 mg omega-3 and 739 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 6 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, and 732 mg sodium*.

* Using a Rapunzel bouillon cube instead of low-sodium veggie broth.

Per serving of vegan matzo balls (3 balls): 133 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 833 mg omega-3 and 648 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 3 g protein, 17.5 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, and 218 mg sodium. 

Per serving of vegetarian matzo balls (3 balls): 146 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 93 mg cholesterol, 51 mg omega-3 and 694 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 5 g protein, 16.5 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, and 168 mg sodium. 

Low Calorie Vegan And Gluten Free Zucchini And Turnip Soup With Fresh Ginger - Perfect For Weight Loss!

Zucchini turnip soup has less than 50 calories per cup!

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Turnips
Have you ever eaten a turnip? They're a delicious root vegetable which when peeled looks a lot like a potato but with fewer calories and carbohydrates. Turnips have a slightly bitter taste and add a wonderful and interesting flavor to soups. You can also mash them up like potatoes or roast them with a little olive oil and salt. 

Turnips are a great source of fiber, vitamin C and manganese and are also a good source of vitamin B6, folate, calcium, potassium and copper.

Peeled turnips look like potatoes.
Potatoes have 116 calories per cup and 28 g of carbohydrates.
Turnips have only 36 calories and 8 g of carbohydrates!

Great Soup for Weight Loss!
This soup uses up lots of  that garden zucchini. It's quick and easy to make with a few simple ingredients  and blends up into a delicious, low calorie, low fat soup. Eating a 45 calorie cup of this soup before a meal will definitely curb your appetite. Or make a whole meal of it with a 2-cup serving and a mixed green salad.

Zucchini and Turnip Soup 
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 8 cups]

8 cups diced zucchini
4 cups peeled and diced turnips
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 cups water
1 large Rapunzel vegan vegetable bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste if needed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the zucchini, turnips, garlic, ginger, water, bouillon cube and bay leaf in a large pot. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, partially covered, until the vegetables are soft. 

After vegetables soften, remove bay leaf and blend.

Remove the bay leaf and place the soup in a blender and blend until smooth. If you don't have a high-speed blender, make sure you mince the ginger very small.

Place in a blender.

Blend until smooth.

Adjust for salt (remember many bouillon cubes already contain a lot of salt) and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with additional freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Per cup: 45 calories, 0.5 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.6 g protein, 8.6 g carbohydrates, 2.1 g dietary fiber and 309 mg sodium.