Vegan Beet Kubbeh

You don't need a long shopping list to make vegan beet kubbeh (stuffed semolina dumplings in beet soup): some semolina, beets, spices, onion, and tofu. That's pretty much it.

Really.

It only looks complicated. Eating it, on the other hand? Couldn't be easier.

There is a little fiddly work involved – what we'd call patchkerai in Yiddish. You make the soup, prepare the filling, and take your time shaping each little stuffed dumpling.

But I'm guessing you already know this is one of the most delicious dishes on earth. Otherwise, why would you be here?

A Little About Vegan Beet Kubbeh

Let's talk nutrition, and how beet kubbeh can fit into your training routine, whether you're cutting or working on building muscle.

First up: semolina

Semolina usually comes from wheat. It's the coarse product of milling the grain; grind it more finely and you get flour.

Because it's made from wheat, semolina contains gluten, which contributes some protein. I'll admit that's not much of a selling point here.

Its main job is to hold the dough together, helping those soft little parcels become firm, sturdy dumplings as they cook in the soup.

The starch in the semolina also thickens the broth, turning it into pretty much the best thing ever.

Want to try gluten-free flour instead? You're on your own with that experiment. I don't have a tested substitute.

The filling

Instead of ground meat, I use grated tofu, a few spices, and a little all-purpose flour to bind everything together.

Don't skip the flour. There's very little of it, and once the kubbeh cooks, it gives the filling a wonderfully tender texture.

You can try whatever meat substitute you like, but it may not behave the same way as the tofu in this recipe.

The soup

It's made with 2 big, beautiful beets, chopped up, plus lemon juice, paprika, sugar, and a little salt.

That's it.

That gloriously thick texture comes from the starch the semolina releases into the broth.

You can also swap the beets for pumpkin to make pumpkin kubbeh.

Vegan Beet Kubbeh Nutrition

• Each kubbeh, from a batch of 25, with a tablespoon of broth and cooked beets, contains:
• 110 calories
• 5 g protein
• 16.5 g carbohydrates
• 2.7 g fat (including less than 0.5 g saturated fat)

Want another beet recipe? Click here.

Vegan Beet Kubbeh

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Yield 25 kubbeh

Calories 110 kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 500 g (17.6 oz) semolina
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups water 1 1/2 cups

For the Filling

• 300 g (10.6 oz) tofu
• 1/2 onion
• 3 scallions
• 1 handful parsley
• 1 level teaspoon baharat (a Middle Eastern spice blend)
• 1/2 teaspoon chicken seasoning spice blend (vegan)
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour Any flour containing gluten will work: all-purpose, whole wheat, spelt, or rye.

For the Soup

• 2 medium beets
• 1 heaping tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon sugar Relax. That's for the whole pot.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 liters (about 6 1/3 cups) water

Instructions

Start with the Dough

1. Combine the semolina, salt, and 1 1/2 cups water in a deep bowl.

2. Mix thoroughly with your hands or a fork until all the water is incorporated into the semolina.

3. Set aside for 30 minutes to let the semolina rest and soak up the water.

Make the Filling

1. Finely chop the onion and scallions. Toss them together with a little salt and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Finely chop the parsley and set it aside.

3. Grate the tofu on the large holes of a box grater and transfer it to a bowl.

4. Add the flour, baharat, chicken seasoning, garlic powder, salt, onion-scallion mixture, and parsley. Mix well.

5. Using your hands, shape the filling into 25 small balls. Place them on a tray and refrigerate or freeze until they firm up.

Make the Soup

1. Peel the beets and cut them into cubes, or whatever shape you like. I'm a fan of little sticks.

2. Chop the onion.

3. In a large pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil.

4. Add the paprika, sugar, and salt.

5. Cook for a few seconds to let the spices bloom in the oil.

6. Add the beets and sauté for another minute or two.

7. Add 1.5 liters (about 6 1/3 cups) water and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil.

8. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Shape the Kubbeh

1. Take the chilled filling out of the refrigerator.

2. By now, the dough should be pliable, not too sticky, and easy to handle.

3. Wet your hands before handling the dough. This keeps it from sticking and makes the whole job much easier. Pinch off a piece about the size of a ping-pong ball.

4. Flatten the dough against the heel of your palm, pressing it out as thinly as you can.

5. Place a ball of filling in the center and fold the dough over it.

6. Seal the dough all the way around the filling, then roll it into a smooth, even ball.

7. If you spot any holes, patch them with a little extra dough.

8. Keep that outer layer as thin as possible. The dough swells as it cooks, so a thick wrapper will give you a heavy, doughy kubbeh.

9. Once the kubbeh is nicely rounded, gently lower it into the soup and start shaping the next one.

10. Add the kubbeh gradually, rather than all at once, so they don't stick together in the pot.

11. Cook the kubbeh in the soup for about 10 minutes.

12. Serve with plenty of white rice.

A Few Notes

You can freeze the shaped, uncooked kubbeh. Then, whenever a beet kubbeh craving strikes, just make the soup and drop the dumplings in.

A pinch