Ingredients:
Vegan Broth & Soup Assembly
8 celery stalks
5 medium carrots
2 medium parsnips
1/4 cupextra-virgin olive oil
2 heads garlic, unpeeled, halved crosswise
2 medium yellow onions, unpeeled, halved through the root end
2 tablespoonswhole black peppercorns, plus more freshly ground
1 bunch parsley
Kosher salt
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and aquafaba reserved (optional)
Freshly chopped dill, for serving
Vegan Matzo Balls
1 cupmatzo meal (not matzo ball mix)
1/2 cupchickpea flour
1 1/2 teaspoonskosher salt
1 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoonsbaking powder
3/4 cupaquafaba, drained from a 15.5-ounce can of chickpeas
1/4 cupextra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cupfinely chopped dill, parsley, or a mixture of both
2 garlic cloves, grated
Directions:
Chop 4 celery stalks, 3 carrots, and the parsnips into 2-inch pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottom pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Place the garlic and onions cut side down in the pot and arrange the chopped vegetables around. Let the vegetables char until deeply golden brown for about 3 minutes, then toss and let char for another 3 minutes. Add the peppercorns, half of the parsley, and a couple big pinches of salt. Toss and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until you can smell the pepper and herbs. Cover with 12 cups of water, stirring to scrape up any charred bits from the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and let simmer until the mixture is slightly reduced, at least 1 hour or up to 4. This is a great time to make the matzo balls.
Smash the garlic cloves against the side of the pot. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve (you should have about 10 cups) into a large bowl, then return to the original pot and heat over medium until it comes to a simmer. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cover and keep over low heat until you’re ready to serve. If not serving for 3 hours or more, transfer the stock to heatproof containers, let cool completely, then refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to serve, slice the remaining celery and carrots on the bias and transfer to the soup along with the canned chickpeas, if using. Simmer for 10 minutes to heat through, then ladle into bowls along with the cooked matzo balls and serve with dill and the remaining parsley.
In another medium bowl, use a fork to mix together the matzo meal, chickpea flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Use your hands to mix in the aquafaba, oil, herbs, and garlic. The mixture should form a sticky mass, like a cookie dough or porridge. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to hydrate.
When you’re ready to make the matzo balls, bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Form the matzo mixture into 1-inch balls (dip your hands in a cup of water to prevent sticking). Place each finished ball on a sheet pan or large plate. You should have about 20 matzo balls.
Season the boiling water with lots of salt, as you would pasta, then gently drop in half of the matzo balls. The matzo balls should sink at first but will slowly start to float. Once all have floated to the surface of the water, reduce the heat to medium-high. Keeping the water at a gentle boil, cook until the matzo balls are slightly puffed (some bits of the exterior may come off while cooking, but most of the matzo ball should stay intact), 7 to 10 minutes. Check one after 7 minutes by slicing through and tasting—the exterior should be soft but not mushy; the interior should be slightly moist and darker than the exterior, but not sticky. Transfer the cooked matzo balls to a sheet pan. Bring the water back up to a boil (it’s okay to cook in the slightly cloudy water from the first batch, but you can swap out for fresh, boil, and salt again if you prefer), then cook the remaining matzo balls.
Transfer the matzo balls to the bowls of the soup (they’re best if served immediately).