Recipe: Light Carrot Soup with Parsley Matzo Balls

LIGHT CARROT SOUP WITH PARSLEY MATZO BALLS

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 lb carrots, peeled and diced
5 1/4 cups canned chicken broth (approx), divided use
3 tbsp uncooked rice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme; crumbled
1 bay leaf
1 pinch sugar (optional)
MATZO BALLS:
1/4 cup packed parsley sprigs
2 large eggs
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup matzo meal
2 tbsp water

Heat vegetable oil in large, heavy saucepan. Add onions and saute over medium-low heat, stirring often, 7 minutes or until soft but not brown.

Add carrots, 4 cups broth, rice, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 30 minutes or until carrots and rice are very tender. Discard bay leaf. Let soup cool 5 minutes.

Pour the soup into a blender and puree until very smooth. Return to saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring often.

Add about 1 1/4 cups broth, or enough to bring soup to desired consistency. Bring to a boil, stirring. Taste and adjust seasoning; add pinch of sugar if de sired. (Soup can be kept, covered, 2 days in refrigerator; reheat over medium-low heat, stirring, before serving.)

TO MAKE THE MATZO BALLS:
Chop the parsley in a food processor. Combine the eggs, vegetable oil and salt in a bowl. Lightly beat until blended. Add matzo meal and beat until batter is well blended. Beat in water, then the
chopped parsley. Transfer the batter to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Bring about 2 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large saucepan. With wet hands, take about 1 teaspoon matzo-ball mixture and roll it between your palms to a ball; mixture will be soft. Set balls on a plate.

Reduce heat so water simmers. With a rubber spatula, carefully slide balls 1 by 1 into the simmering water.

Cover and simmer over low heat about 30 minutes or until matzo balls are firm. Cover and keep them warm until ready to serve.

Presentation:
When serving soup, use a slotted spoon to add 3-6 matzo balls to each bowl.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutritional information (per serving): 213 calories, 7.1 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 72 milligrams cholesterol, 1,008 milligrams sodium, 30 percent calories from fat

Adapted from source: The Low-Fat Jewish Cookbook: 225 Traditional and Contemporary Gourmet Kosher Recipes for Holidays and Every Day by Faye Levy