Kubbeh Hamusta with homemade vegetable stock

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Kubbeh

1. 1
   Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

   StoveFrying pan
2. 2
   Add the onion and fry 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   Stove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 3
   Raise the heat to medium-high and add the meat. Press it flat over the bottom and leave it for 2–3 minutes without stirring, until a brown crust forms.

   Stove

   💡Brown ground beef in the pot without pressing it: leave it as one 'cake' for a few minutes until a brown crust forms, then break it into chunks. Deep browning = deep flavor.
4. 4
   Break it up with a wooden spoon and fry for 5–7 more minutes, stirring, until no pink is left and the meat browns.

   StoveWooden spoon
5. 5
   Add the cumin, salt and black pepper and fry another 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.

   Stove
6. 6
   Remove from the heat and cool the filling completely, about half an hour.

   💡Fill dough only with completely cooled filling: a hot filling softens the dough, makes it hard to seal and makes the pastry soggy inside.
7. 7
   Mix the semolina, flour and salt in a bowl. Gradually add the water and Knead into a smooth, soft dough. Let rest 20 minutes.

   BowlStand mixer

   💡Resting lets the semolina absorb the water, so the dough becomes pliable and doesn't crack when you shape it.
8. 8
   With wet hands, take a ball of dough the size of a walnut, flatten it into a thin round, place a teaspoon of cooled filling in it and close into a ball.

   💡Wet hands don't stick to semolina dough, so you can shape a thin, even wall around the filling.
9. 9
   Arrange the kubbeh on a tray in a single layer until the soup boils.

To assemble

1. 10
   Put the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, garlic, bay leaves and thyme in a large pot with the cold water.

   Large pot

   💡Start with cold water: the vegetables release their flavor slowly as the water heats up.
2. 11
   Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam.

   Stove
3. 12
   Turn down to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered 30–45 minutes.

   Stove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
4. 13
   Strain the stock through a fine sieve.

   Fine sieve
5. 14
   Bring to a boil in a wide pot the stock, celery and turmeric.

   StoveWide, shallow pot
6. 15
   Stir in the lemon juice and salt. Taste: the soup should be tangy. Adjust to taste.

   💡Balance at the end, once the flavors have come together: add sour, sweet and salty a little at a time, tasting between additions.
7. 16
   Add the kubbeh to the boiling soup. Turn down the heat and simmer 20–25 minutes, until the kubbeh float and are cooked through.

   Stove

   💡Add the kubbeh only to soup that is already boiling, and don't stir with a spoon at first: in lukewarm liquid the dough softens and falls apart.
8. 17
   Serve hot in bowls.