Kurdish Kubbeh Hamusta-Inspired Beet Soup

Ingredients

• 2 medium beets, diced
• 1 cup cooked bulgur
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion or 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 6 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and coriander for 30 seconds.
2. Add the diced beets, the stock, and 2 cups water, season with salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the beets are tender enough to crush against the pan.
3. While the soup cooks, knead the cooked bulgur with the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl, adding a teaspoon of water at a time, until it holds together as a firm, smooth dough that does not crack when squeezed.
4. Roll the dough into 12 small balls with wet hands, keeping them tight and even so they hold together in the broth.
5. Lower the dumplings into the gently simmering soup one at a time and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until they float and are firm all the way through.
6. Keep the soup at a slow simmer while they cook. A hard boil knocks the dumplings apart and clouds the broth.
7. Stir in the lemon juice off the heat and taste: hamusta means sour, so the soup should be sharply acidic against the sweetness of the beets. Add more lemon if it tastes flat.
8. Serve hot with the fresh herbs and lemon wedges.

Allergen note: Contains gluten.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.