Ingredients

Soup Base

• 1 head garlic
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 4 red jalapeño chiles or Fresno peppers, seeded, and minced
• 3 quarts roasted chicken stock
• ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

Matzo Balls

• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons chicken fat
• 1 cup matzo meal
• ½ cup club soda
• 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Cut ⅓ off the top of the garlic, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Set top back on bottom. Wrap in foil; roast 1 hour.
4. Mix matzo-ball ingredients.  Cover and chill a 30 minutes.
5. In a large stock pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil until its hot. Add vegetables and ½ teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until starting to soften, 10 minutes.
6. Squeeze garlic from cloves into a bowl, whisk in ½ cup stock, and pour back into the pot.
7. In another large soup pot, boil salted water and the reduce to a simmer. Using wet hands, loosely form matzo mixture into 1-inch balls.  Add balls to the water as you go. Simmer until cooked through, 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, add Matzo balls to the soup.
8. Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley.