Marak Kubbeh Adom (Iraqi-Jewish Beet Soup with Semolina Dumplings)

Marak kubbeh adom is a beet-red soup from the Iraqi Jewish community, built on a sweet-and-sour beef broth studded with semolina dumplings filled with spiced ground meat. It is a Shabbat table classic, especially popular in Israeli homes with Kurdish or Iraqi roots.

Ingredients

• For the broth
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 8 cups beef or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• For the kubbeh dumplings
• 1 cup fine semolina
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Start the broth
   Saute the onion in oil until soft, then add the beets and broth. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Season the broth
   Stir in the tomato paste, sugar, and lemon juice, and simmer another 10 minutes. Adjust salt, sugar, and lemon to balance sweet and sour.
3. Make the dumpling dough
   Mix the semolina, flour, and salt, then stir in the boiling water to form a soft dough. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
4. Make the filling
   Combine the ground beef, grated onion, cumin, allspice, salt, and parsley.
5. Shape the kubbeh
   Take a small piece of dough, flatten it in your palm, place a teaspoon of filling in the center, and fold the dough around it to seal into a ball.
6. Cook the dumplings
   Gently drop the sealed kubbeh into the simmering broth and cook for 20 minutes, until they float and are cooked through.
7. Serve
   Ladle the soup and dumplings into bowls and serve hot.

Wetting your hands while shaping the kubbeh keeps the dough from sticking.