Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

For 15 to 20 kubbe

For the kubbe shells

• 100g fine bulgur (¾ cup)
• 500g fine semolina (2¾ cups)
• 1 tsp fine salt

For the kubbe filling

• 300-400g ground beef (chuck, shank, neck or brisket)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 onions, finely diced
• ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped (or celery leaves)
• Salt, pepper
• 3-4 tbsp neutral oil

For the broth

• 1L beef broth (or water + organic bouillon cube)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3-4 tbsp neutral oil
• 5 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4-5 celery stalks with leaves, roughly chopped
• 2-3 zucchini, cut into thick rounds
• 6 Swiss chard or spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 2-3 zucchini, cut into chunks
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 dried Persian lime (light ones are less acidic than dark)
• Salt, pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

Kubbe (pronounced koo-beh) are semolina dumplings stuffed with meat and herbs. Very popular in Israel, they deserve to be discovered! They’re sure to impress your guests. The preparation is fairly simple though a bit time-consuming, but the taste is absolutely worth it.

Preparing the kubbe shells

1. Place the bulgur in a very fine strainer, rinse until the water runs clear, then transfer to a bowl with one cup of water. Let sit for 30 minutes—the bulgur will absorb the water.

2. Add the fine semolina to the bulgur, season lightly with salt, then knead until the dough is fairly soft. If it’s too firm, add a little water. You should be able to shape it, but it shouldn’t be too liquid or it will open during cooking.

Preparing the kubbe filling

3. In a saucepan, heat the neutral oil and onions. Sauté over high heat until golden, then add the meat to brown it, followed by the garlic. Add the parsley (or celery) and continue cooking for 7-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the mixture is well cooked and slightly dry (no liquid). Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside and let cool.

Shaping the kubbe

4. With damp hands, take a large walnut-sized piece of bulgur dough, flatten it in your palm, and place a level tablespoon of meat filling in the center before closing it into a slightly flattened ping-pong ball-sized dumpling (puck-shaped). You can freeze them at this stage by spreading them flat on a tray, placing in the freezer, then transferring to a freezer bag.

Preparing the sweet and sour broth and cooking the kubbe

5. In a Dutch oven, sauté the sliced onion, garlic, and celery (and Swiss chard leaves if using) in 3 tablespoons of oil until lightly colored. Add the turmeric, Persian lime, salt, boiling water, then the lemon juice. Gently add the kubbe and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Tips and time management

• Uncooked kubbe freeze very well. To get ahead, instead of cooking them in the broth, refrigerate them then transfer to freezer bags. That way you’ll only need to prepare the broth and cook them.

• For the kubbe “shell,” some prefer it firmer or softer—adjust the texture to your preference. But be careful that it’s thick enough not to open during cooking.

• You can also make this shell with half fine semolina and half fine bulgur.

• If you freeze them, cook them directly from frozen in the broth, allowing a bit more cooking time.