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Instant Pot Matzo Ball Soup

Super light, dilly and delicious matzo ball soup. This is one of our all time favorite soups, and I make it at least once a month. This version calls for an instant pot, and can be made with frozen or thawed chicken. You don't need to use a pressure cooker, but instructions will vary slightly. Additionally, you won't be able to cook frozen chicken if you're not using pressure cooker.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Rest time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, Jewish
Keyword: delicious, dinner, easy, healthy, instant pot, matzo, matzo ball, simple, soup
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 350kcal
Author: Ronnie
Cost: $15

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Big Pot with Lid
  • Medium Bowl
  • Cutting Board
  • Chef Knife
  • Mixing spoon
  • Ladle to serve

Ingredients

Soup

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs frozen or thawed
  • 6 small carrots
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 large onion I used yellow
  • 3 whole bay leaves
  • 2 tbs broth base(veggie or chicken) I prefer the better than bullion brand
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 tbs chopped fresh dill
  • 6 oz egg noodles (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Matzo Balls

  • 1 packet matzo ball mix I use Manischewitz
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil

Instructions

Prep

  • Make your Matzo Ball Mix in medium bowl. Make matzo mix by adding contents of a matzo ball mix bag into a small bowl with 2 tbs vegetable oil, and 2 large eggs. Mix with a fork until combined, then put in the fridge uncovered to rest for 15 minutes. Matzo Ball Mix instructions may vary, so check the instructions on the Matzo Ball Mix Box.
  • Chop and dice all the carrots, celery, and onion and set aside.
  • Get a big (spaghetti sized) pot of water boiling.

Pressure Cooker

  • Turn your instant pot onto the sauté function.
  • Sauté the veggies you've prepped with 3 bay leaves and salt and pepper.
  • Once veggies start to soften, add 2 quarts of water, 2 tbs broth base (alternatively you can use 2 quarts of pre-made broth), and the boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
  • Turn off sauté function, place lid onto instant pot, and select the steam function. Cooking times will vary depending on whether you are using frozen or thawed chicken.
    Frozen chicken - 15 minutes
    Thawed chicken - 6 minutes
  • Once you input your time, you'll hear a beep and your instant pot will say "On". Your instant pot say "On" until it comes to pressure. You'll know when your instant pot comes to pressure because steam will stop being released, and minutes will be displayed where your instant pot previously said "On."

Cook Matzo Balls

  • Check on boiling water. You'll want it to come to a rolling boil.
  • Pull Matzo Ball Mixture out of fridge, and begin to form matzo balls. Form matzo balls by taking just under 1 tbs mix and rolling into in your hands (like play-doh) to form a small ball.
    You should be able to form 10-14 small balls. I made 13 this last time.
    You don't have to form them that small, but I prefer to have a larger quantity since I always seem to eat a ton whether they're big or not.
  • Once you've formed your matzo balls, drop them into the rolling boiling water, cover, and turn down to simmer. If your lid is see-through, watch as your matzo balls begin to grow!
    Cook matzo balls for 20 min. They're delicate, so be careful when you stir.
  • Optionally, you can add egg noodles into the boiling water the last 10 minutes the matzo balls are cooking. This makes a heartier, noodle filled soup.
  • Once Matzo balls are complete, remove them from the water with a spoon and place them aside. (I put them in the rinsed bowl I prepped the mix in). If you added noodles, strain noodles, and store them with matzo balls.
    Dump out remaining water from big pot, as you'll use the big pot to combine all ingredients before serving.

Combine and Serve

  • Once your pressure cooker time is complete, release the pressure by turning the release valve to the left or right.
  • Once all pressure is released, remove chicken thighs and coarsely shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
  • CAREFULLY pour soup from instant pot into your big pot, add shredded chicken, matzo balls (and egg noodles if you opted to use them), and stir gently to combine. Remove bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.
    Top with most of the chopped fresh dill, saving a enough to garnish individual bowls.
  • Portion into individual bowls (I usually portion 2-3 matzo balls per bowl), garnish with remaining fresh dill, and enjoy.