Israeli Kubbeh Soup (Semolina Dumplings in Beet Broth)

About This Recipe

Israeli Kubbeh Soup is a real, traditional Israeli dish, known as Semolina Dumplings in Beet Broth. Semolina dumplings filled with spiced ground meat, simmered in a deep red beet and tomato broth, a beloved Kurdish-Israeli specialty.\n\nKubbeh soup was brought to Israel primarily by Kurdish and Iraqi Jewish immigrants, with distinct regional variations across different broths, and it remains one of the most cherished home-cooked comfort foods in Israeli-Kurdish communities.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Israeli home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 200 gfine semolina(for dumpling dough)
• 100 gall-purpose flour(for dumpling dough)
• 1 tspfine sea salt(for dumpling dough)
• 250 mlwarm water(for dumpling dough)
• 300 gground beef(for filling)
• 1yellow onion(finely diced, for filling)
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 2beets(peeled and grated)
• 3tomatoes(diced)
• 1yellow onion(sliced, for broth)
• 2 Lwater or vegetable stock
• 2 tbsplemon juice
• 1 tspsugar
• 2 tbspchopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dumpling dough

   Combine semolina, flour, salt and warm water into a smooth, pliable dough. Rest for 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Cook the diced onion until soft, then mix with ground beef, cumin and pepper.

3. 3

   Shape the dumplings

   Take small portions of dough, flatten into thin discs, place a spoonful of filling in the center, and seal into small, sealed dumplings.

4. 4

   Build the broth

   Simmer grated beets, tomatoes, sliced onion, water or stock, lemon juice and sugar for 30 minutes until deeply flavored and red.

5. 5

   Cook the dumplings

   Gently drop the dumplings into the simmering broth and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until they float and the filling is cooked through.

6. 6

   Serve

   Ladle the soup with dumplings into bowls, garnished with fresh cilantro.

Variations

• •

  A version with a squash-based broth is another common Kurdish-Israeli regional variation.

• •

  Some households use bulgur instead of semolina for the dumpling dough for a slightly different texture.

• •

  Add a pinch of dried mint to the broth for extra aromatic complexity.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions