Each day during Lent, Ave Maria Press will be posting soup recipes and Lenten reflections from our Lenten prayer books here on the Ave Maria Press website. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more inspiration.
Lenten Reflection
From Simplifying the Soul:
Today, go out into the world—your school, your place of work, the grocery store, and even the freeway (though it’s difficult to see people’s faces very well without imperiling your driving)—and spend ten minutes praying for the strangers you pass. The prayers can be simple; you can intuit a lot from body language and facial expressions and can attune your prayers to those clues. A good rule of thumb is that everyone, no matter how cheerful looking, bears some measure of pain. Another is that all of us deal with temptations and fears. You can effectively pray about any of these issues for anyone.
Matzo Ball Soup
Ingredients 
2 packages matzo crackers
1/2 cup butter
6 eggs
3 tablespoons parsley, minced
2 onions, minced
5 ounces matzo meal
2 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
8 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
Prepare the Matzo Balls
In a large pot, boil 6 cups of water. Break matzo crackers into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Add enough water to cover and soak until crackers are soft. Drain off excess water.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and stir in drained crackers. Stir until mixture is dry. Remove from heat and gently mix in eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and onion.
Add just enough matzo meal to make the mixture hold together. Roll into balls approximately one inch in diameter. The finished matzo balls should float, without breaking apart, in boiling water. This will take some trial and error.
Prepare the Soup
In a large saucepan, sauté celery and carrot until tender. Add chicken broth and bring to a slow boil. Add matzo balls.
Serve with parsley as a garnish. Makes 5 to 6 servings.
Submitted by Rachel Arnold.
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