I know this may be an odd statement, but matzo ball soup always reminds me of Christmas. So it’s fitting that I created the recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Soup w/ Gluten-Free Matzo Balls in December. Whether it’s from a single memory or a string of combined childhood memories, I remember going with my family to pick up matzo ball soup from Weiler’s Deli after a long day of Christmas shopping. And between the retro decorations on the wall and the smell of pastrami sandwiches and corned beef in the air, picking up that soup at the deli is something that will always resonate with me during the holidays.

While this Instant Pot Chicken Soup w/ Gluten-Free Matzo Balls doesn’t come in a Styrofoam container with a side of bagel chips, it still conjures up those past Christmases for me. And whether you like matzo ball soup for Christmas, Chanukah, or just during the winter season, you won’t miss the gluten from this version. It tastes like the real deal. Full of hearty chicken and pillowy matzo balls in every spoonful, it’s a Christmas and Chanukah miracle!

the process

Even though this is a two-step recipe (i.e., you’ll make the matzo balls and soup separately), it’s pretty darn hands-off. The soup basically makes itself in an Instant Pot, and the matzo balls come together in about 15 minutes from a mix. The matzo balls are what I call “shortcut” food. I’m sure there’s a tasty way to make gluten-free matzo balls from scratch, but I seriously love the Manischewitz Gluten-Free Matzo Ball Mix. And why mess up something that works so well and comes together so quickly? Especially when you’ve got Christmas presents to buy.

So since this is such an easy recipe to pull together, I would just stress the importance of making everything in the right order. I recommend putting all the chicken soup ingredients together first and turning on your Instant Pot before boiling the matzo balls. The matzo balls come together quicker than you think, and no one wants a soggy matzo ball sitting around.

When you serve the soup, you can either add in the matzo balls into each individual bowl (I prefer this method when making food for more than one person). Or, you can just add in your matzo balls to the entire pot of soup. Believe it or not, this Instant Pot Chicken Soup w/ Gluten-Free Matzo Balls holds up incredibly well for a couple of days, and it makes a great lunch for a rainy day. I will never get over the joy of having soup on a rainy day. Or matzo ball soup at Christmastime.