INGREDIENTS:

Soup

• ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil

• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped

• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped

• 4 celery ribs, sliced in ½-inch (1.5 cm) pieces

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 4 medium beets, peeled and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) chunks

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon baharat (see page 22), plus more as needed

• ¼ teaspoon chile flakes

• ¼ cup (50 g) sugar

• ½ cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

• 4 quarts (4 L) cold water

Matzo Kubbeh Dough

• 1 cup (125 g) matzo meal (we like Streit’s)

• ¼ cup (60 ml) boiling water

• 3 large eggs

• ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• ⅛ teaspoon baking powder

Kubbeh Filling

• ½ pound (225 g) ground beef

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

• 1 very small yellow onion, coarsely grated

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon baharat (see page 22(

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

• Vegetable oil, for greasing

• Fresh herb leaves (parsley, cilantro, dill), for garnish
  

DIRECTIONS:

Yields 8-10 Servings

1. Make the soup: Heat the vegetable oil in a very large (about 8-quart/8 L) soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and leeks and sauté until soft and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the beets, cumin, baharat, chile flakes, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Taste and add more salt or baharat, if desired.

2. While the soup is cooking, start on the kubbeh dough: Put the matzo meal in a medium bowl and stir in the boiling water; cover and refrigerate until all the moisture has been absorbed and the mixture has cooled down.

3. Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the ground beef, parsley, mint, onion, cumin, baharat, and salt in a large bowl. Knead thoroughly to blend, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 5 minutes; this will make it easier to shape the balls. Rub your palms with some oil and, using a teaspoon, shape the meat mixture into ¾-inch (2 cm) balls, arranging them on a baking sheet as you go; you should end up with 25 to 30 balls.

4. Assemble the kubbeh: Lightly oil a baking sheet

   Stir the eggs, vegetable oil, salt, several twists of pepper, and the baking powder into the matzo mixture and mix thoroughly. Wet your hands or rub them with oil. Take a heaping tablespoon of dough, shape it into a ball about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, and flatten it out to a disc-try to make it as thin as possible without tearing the dough; the dough is pliable, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Place a meatball in the center and wrap the dough around it; pinch off any excess dough and return it to the bowl. Gently roll the dumpling between your palms to smooth out the surface, making sure there are no cracks or holes. Put the dumpling on the oiled baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and meatballs If you can get the dough really thin, you should have enough for at least 25 of the meatballs. If you have a few meatballs left, just slide them into the soup along with the rest of the dumplings.

   Make sure your soup is at a rapid simmer, then gently slide in the dumplings, one by one. Simmer for about 25 minutes—do not stir, as this may break the dumplings.

   Using a slotted spoon, put 2 or 3 dumplings in each soup bowl and ladle over the soup and the vegetables. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve. 

Courtesy of Einat Admony:

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