Masa Ball Soup (Corn Dumplings in Chicken Soup) Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated Mar. 26, 2021
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A Jewish classic crosses paths with Mexico. Daniel Gritzer

A lot of people will tell you that punning is one of the lowest forms of humor. No matter—this soup, born of a silly pun, is tasty whether you like that kind of wordplay or not. Based on a classic matzo ball soup recipe, this one uses masa harina for tamales in place of matzo meal for light and moist poached dumplings that have more than a little in common with tamales themselves. We serve them in chicken broth spiked with Mexican flavors, like jalapeño, lime juice, and cilantro.

Why this recipe works:

  • Baking powder helps aerate the dumplings, giving them a light texture.
  • Optional seltzer further aerates the masa balls, for those seeking the lightest texture.

Note: Masa harina para tamales is a corn-based flour used for making tamales and can be found in most latin markets or well-stocked supermarkets. If you can't find it, regular masa harina can be used in its place. Lard will deliver the most Mexican flavor, while schmaltz keeps things more in line with traditional matzo balls; canola or vegetable oil will yield the most neutral results.

Recipe Facts

5

(2)

Active: 25 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Serves: 4 servings

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Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs, beaten

  • 1/4 cup seltzer or water

  • 1/4 cup lard, schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) or neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil (see note)

  • 1 cup masa harina para tamales (see note)

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 quarts homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

  • 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice

  • 1 rib celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice

  • 3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced butternut squash

  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems

  • 1 jalapeño or Serrano pepper, thinly sliced

  • 1 lime cut into wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs with seltzer and schmaltz or oil. In a small bowl, stir together masa harina with baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly. Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, divide stock evenly between two pots, season both to taste with salt, and bring to a simmer. Add diced carrots, celery, and squash to one pot and simmer until just tender. Set aside.

  3. Using wet hands, and re-wetting hands as necessary, form masa mixture into 1- to 1 1/2-inch balls, and add to simmering pot of stock that doesn't have the vegetables (the mixture may feel a little soft, but should form balls easily enough). When all masa balls are added, cover and simmer until cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes. Cooked masa balls can be kept warm in their broth until ready to serve.

  4. Reheat both the vegetable pot and the masa-ball pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer masa balls to serving bowls (you should have at least 3 per bowl); strain masa ball cooking broth with a fine mesh strainer into the pot with the remaining broth and vegetables. Ladle hot broth with vegetables into each bowl and garnish with cilantro and jalapeño or Serrano peppers. Serve, passing lime wedges at the table.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
387 Calories
20g Fat
36g Carbs
19g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 387
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 186mg 62%
Sodium 2197mg 96%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 22mg 108%
Calcium 237mg 18%
Iron 6mg 33%
Potassium 1043mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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