Sarah Nathan has always been a huge fan of soup. It’s no wonder instant matzah ball soup is the first product released under her Jewish comfort food brand, NOOISH.

“Soup blends so many flavors together, and it really can have a depth that you’re not going to get with normal cooking,” Nathan told the Journal. “You get this melding of flavors and that warmth in your heart. … We call it a hug in a cup for a reason.” 

Nathan had been in the culinary space for a while — she ran programming at the Chobani Incubator, was a category manager at National Co+op Grocers and is culinary coordinator for B’teavon, an annual Jewish culinary experience, among other experiences — when she noticed a gap in the market. 

“I was a producer on the Great Big Jewish Food Fest at the beginning of the pandemic, when people were really searching for comfort,” she said. “So many people were interacting with our programming, because it really was telling so many diverse Jewish stories … we really had programming geared towards black Jews, Latinx Jews, Asian Jews, LGBT, different generations.”

People from all over the world were sharing their stories, and feeling connected with each other and the Jewish culture.

“When we came out of all that, [I noticed] everyone else [was still] elevating their own culture’s food [but] nobody really is doing that for Jewish food, outside of the kosher aisle,” she said. 

NOOISH Foods — a new-ish take on Jewish comfort food — started with a mission to elevate and make Jewish food accessible. After all, Jewish food is constantly changing and modernizing.

With her instant matzah ball soup, Nathan developed a product that represents one of the most beloved Jewish staples. One people seem to only put a lot of time and effort into around the Jewish holidays. 

“I kind of equate it to tamales in Mexican culture,” she said. “They really spend the time doing it over Christmas, but people love tamales all year round.”

And while people love matzah balls, and have their own preferences — floater or sinker — actually making them is the hard part.

“It just takes time,” she said. “You got to mix, you got to wait, you got to form, you got to hope that you got it right.”

Now, when you feel under the weather or just need a cup of soup, you don’t need to make the effort. 

“It is very similar in format to Instant Ramen,” she said. “Just add water and microwave for two-and-a-half minutes, and you get a really delicious steaming fresh bowl of matzah ball soup.”

Instant gratification matzah ball soup still counts, Nathan explained.  “I get comments online all the time: ‘My grandmother would be turning over in her grave; if you’re not making it from scratch, it’s not real,’” she said. “Well, I’m making it from scratch, so you don’t have to.”

Nathan said her earliest food memories revolve around the holidays and cooking with her mom. “We definitely made matzah ball soup; her famous dish is mandel bread,” Nathan said. “Spending those times in the kitchen, making it with her and then really seeing that love language of feeding people when you got to go to someone’s house [and] bring that dish.”

One of Nathan’s favorite recipes is the Jerusalem latke from New York Shuk. That recipe is below. 

“It has Jerusalem artichokes and potatoes; some really interesting things that aren’t just potatoes,” she said. “And they’re another one of my favorite brands … I love to really uplift the community of other Jewish food … brands.” 

Nathan hosts a lot of Shabbat dinners; she does consumer packaged good industry Shabbat dinners at big trade shows and smaller dinners, where she shares modern recipes, like the one from New York Shuk. 

“I like to bring in all of our cultures, and make the table feel unexpected,” she said. “I like bringing together a lot of different traditions, so that anyone can say, ‘I fit at this table and I fit in here.’”

Learn more at NooishFoods.com and follow  @NooishFoods on Instagram and YouTube.

For the full conversation, listen to the podcast:

Giant Jerusalem Artichoke Latke

Makes two 12-inch latkes

Recipe by Ron and Leetal Arazi, co-founders of New York Shuk 

”Jerusalem artichokes are one of our favorite ingredients to cook with. Here, we make an oversize version, which we top with yogurt, herbs and our Shawarma spice. The hot latke paired with the cold yogurt, spices and fresh parsley makes for a winning dish. We serve it cut into wedges.”

3 cups Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and grated

1 cup potatoes, peeled and grated

1 small onion, grated

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Shawarma spice

3 eggs

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Canola oil, for frying

Plain yogurt and parsley leaves, for serving

Garnish: 2 Tbsp Shawarma Spice + 2 Tbsp olive oil

In a small bowl, mix the Shawarma spice with the oil and let sit until ready to use.

In a medium bowl, cover the grated Jerusalem artichokes and potatoes with cold water to rinse. Drain well and squeeze out as much water as you can. Place in another bowl and add the onion and squeeze again if the mixture doesn’t seem dry. Add the Shawarma spice, salt, eggs and flour and mix well.

Heat oil in a 12-inch frying pan. Add half of the latke mixture and spread it in an even layer. Cook until crisp and golden on the bottom. Flip the latke and cook until crisp and lightly browned on the other side and tender in the center. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining latke mixture. Drizzle the latkes with yogurt, fresh parsley leaves and a drizzle of the Shawarma spice in oil.

Debra Eckerling is a writer for the Jewish Journal and the host of “Taste Buds with Deb.” Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. Email Debra: tastebuds@jewishjournal.com.