Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup With Caramelized Cabbage

Matzo ball soup is typically a first course during Passover, consisting of matzo balls, chicken broth, and some carrots and celery. But this (vegetarian! dairy-free!) matzo ball soup is more than a starter (and might enter your rotation all year round). Instead of relying on store-bought vegetable broth, which can be hit or miss, the flavor foundation comes from cooked-down cabbage. Be patient—you want the cabbage to caramelize not burn, and the lower and slower you go, the greater your reward. We recommend heating only as many cooked matzo balls in the soup as you’re going to eat and storing the leftover balls separately. Otherwise, they may get waterlogged and fall apart.