Recipes

Vegan Matzoh Balls That Are Actually Fluffy!

Oh, matzoh balls; the quintessential Passover delicacy. For the past few years, I’ve been on a quest to create perfect vegan matzoh balls. The first recipe I tried used tofu—which I prefer not to use being Ashkenazi—to replace the egg. The matzoh balls definitely held up well, but they were extremely dense. I would have liked a fluffier vegan matzoh ball, but then again, I was just excited to be able to eat matzoh balls at all.

My next attempt at vegan matzoh balls saw the tofu replaced with flaxseed, but I found the density to be about the same. So the year after, I eschewed matzoh balls altogether and made a potato leek soup instead. I had almost given up hope that I would one day manage a matzoh ball that was vegan, kitniyot-free, and fluffy.

Enter Flax Foam

A few innovative individuals took it upon themselves to experiment with different ways of using flaxseed as an egg replacer. Rather than just grinding the flax and mixing it with water, they boiled the flax to extract a thick gel, which looked a lot like egg whites once it had been strained.

They then whipped the flax “whites,” and either folded them into recipes to add airiness, such as mousse, or (in whatever consider a stroke of genius) created vegan meringues. I followed these developments through this thread, and thought, hey maybe this would work for matzoh balls.

So I got to work, boiling and straining the flax, freezing the goop, and whipping it into a light and fluffy mass. I then used the whipped flax in a traditional matzoh ball recipe I found in one of the many Pesach recipe books my mom has floating around.

The results were perfect. I rejoiced in the eating of a light and fluffy matzoh ball that didn’t disintegrate in broth (and tasted great to boot). I served my matzoh balls in an herb-scented mushroom broth, but really they can go in any kind of broth you like.

Print Recipe

Fluffy Vegan Matzoh Balls

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Ingredients

1/4 c flax goop
1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp of water
1/8 tsp salt (I prefer Indian black salt to add just a touch of egginess
1/4 c matzoh meal

Instructions

Combine the ground flax seed with the whipped flax "whites". Gradually add the matzoh meal, stirring gently until well combined. Let rest for 10-20 minutes.

In a large pot, heat some vegetable broth or salted water until boiling. Wet hands with cold water, and form the matzoh mixture into small balls. Gently drop each ball into the boiling liquid, and then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. I wouldn't recommend cooking the matzoh balls in the soup you plan to serve them in because they will soak up a lot of liquid.

Remove the matzoh balls from the cooking liquid and serve in your broth of choice.

Chag Pesach sameach (חג פסח שמח)!

April 14, 2014 By Ashley

Recipes

Grandpa Maurice’s Famous Mushroom Paté

For the longest time, my grandfather’s mushroom paté, or as we usually call it, “mushroom stuff” was pretty much the only way I’d swallow a mushroom. Mushroom stuff as my grandfather made it was a combination of sautéed mushrooms and onions, mayonnaise, and a hard-boiled egg. While this is an acceptable vegetarian take on chopped liver, converting even liver fans like my dad’s side of the family, it definitely wasn’t vegan.

The Eternal Egg Question

Replacing egg and mayonnaise on Pesach is more challenging than any other time of the year. First, for the egg, I decided to use soaked cashews, to give the paté the same kind of body that the egg brings.

To replace the mayonnaise, I went for the flavors of mayo, namely, fat in the form of olive oil, and some tang, in the form of red wine vinegar. For a little extra “eggy” punch, I like to season the paté with Indian black salt (kala namak), which tastes exactly how I remember sunny-side-up eggs…because I also used to douse my egg yolks in salt.

The Taste Test

The result tastes almost exactly how I remember Grandpa’s paté tasting. It’s good enough, that some years it’s the only mushroom stuff we decided to serve. My version is punctuated by the sweet richness of the fried mushrooms and onions, mixed with a little tang from the vinegar, all married together in a smooth and creamy dip. It’s perfect for spreading onto matzah, whether it’s as an appetizer, at your seder, or a part of your mid-Pesach lunch.

A Very Shtetl Pesach. Fiddler On The Roof cast (including shtetl Ashley front and almost center) at Columbia University, April 2010

Grandpa Maurice was far from vegan, but he always appreciated good food. I like to imagine he would be proud of my interpretation. He died a little bit before I really started cooking for myself, so I never really got to share my culinary creations with him. Even so, I love that I can still enjoy the food he made for us, even if it is adapted to fit my lifestyle.

Print Recipe

Mushroom and Onion Paté

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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A creamy spread punctuated by the sweet richness of the fried mushrooms and onions, mixed with a little tang from the vinegar, all married together in a smooth and creamy dip. It's perfect for spreading onto matzah, whether it's as an appetizer, at your seder, or a part of your mid-Pesach lunch.

Ingredients

1 pint white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 large white or yellow onions, sliced

1/4 c raw cashews, soaked for a few hours or overnight

4-5 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 tbsp kosher for Passover red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp black salt (or to taste)

black pepper to taste

Instructions

1

Preheat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and sweat slowly for about 5-7 minutes until translucent.

2

Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until the mushrooms have cooked down, and the mixture is golden brown and fragrant. The volume of vegetables in the pan should be considerably reduced from when you started.

3

Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

4

Put the mushroom and onion mixture into a food processor, then drain the cashews, and add them as well.

5

Begin to chop the mixture in the processor, and stream in the oil and vinegar while the machine is running.

6

Add the salt and pepper, and pulse again to combine. Taste for seasoning.

7

The mixture should be chopped very, very finely, and should be fairly smooth (but not entirely pureed). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

I'm giving quantities for a fairly small amount of paté, but this recipe is very easily increased. It also does not need to be super precise, so feel free to play with the seasonings according to your tastes.