Matzo Ball Soup, Meet Your Backpack

NOOISH Matzo Ball Soup travels light and tastes like home

Across time zones and to-do lists, there's a shared instinct: to stop, even briefly, and recharge. Whether it's a late night in a new place or a stolen moment between classes, warmth becomes a way to ground ourselves, carrying a small piece of home wherever we land. For Sarah Nathan, that instinct became something she wanted to create.

Photos by Mark Weinberg

After a decade working in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, Sarah ran an incubator program as part of the Great Big Jewish Food Fest, which celebrated the diversity within the Jewish community. It was there she witnessed a powerful connection to culture and community through food in a way she hadn’t seen before. She wanted to find a way to capture that feeling of connection.

"I saw so many people elevating their own cultural foods, and I wondered what people were really doing for Jewish food on a mass level," said Nathan.

As part of the eat-on-the-go, traveler-bringing-snacks crowd, she wanted to create something shelf-stable that could be enjoyed anywhere, anytime. This inspired her to create NOOISH, an instant matzo ball soup designed to travel light.

"With matzo ball soup, a lot of people only eat it once a year," Nathan explains. "People make it for Passover, but they really want that comfort, that 'Jewish penicillin' all year long."

Each kit includes its core ingredients—vegetarian broth powder, spices ethically sourced from Burlap and Barrel and Redmond Real Salt, carrots, and matzo balls. Or you can make it uniquely your own by adding vegetables, spices, or proteins.

With a long shelf life and no need for refrigeration, NOOISH is built to last, and fits perfectly in a backpack, carry-on, or dorm-room care package. Its simple preparation and affordable format make it perfect for road trips, camping trips, or everyday life. All you need to do is add water and bring your own spoon.

"I actually have a plug-in hot water heater that's the size of a water bottle," Nathan said. "I fill it up with water, plug it in, and then add it to the soup. You can also just ask Starbucks for a cup of hot water."

NOOISH is about preserving comfort, culture, and care—offering a moment of warmth wherever life may lead you.

You can find NOOISH Matzo Ball Soup in the Tiny Cupboards shop, at select locations across the U.S., or directly at Nooish.com.