Shared by Jennifer Abadi
Shared by Jennifer Abadi
Kibbeh Hamdah (Tangy Meatball Soup With Lemon and Celery)
Yield: 8 - 10 servingsTime: 1h 30min
Kibbeh Hamdah (Tangy Meatball Soup With Lemon and Celery)
Yield: 8 - 10 servingsTime: 1h 30minThis recipe was shared by Jennifer Abadi. Read more about her family in "The Syrian Passover Soup That Came to Brooklyn."
Ingredients
For the meat filling:
- ½ pound ground lamb
- ¼ cup cold water
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
For outer meatball shell:
- ⅔ cup long-grain white rice, finely ground in a coffee or spice grinder (you can use rice flour if you don't own a grinder)
- ½ pound ground lamb
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
For broth:
- 8 to 10 cups beef or lamb stock
- 2½ cups celery, coarsely chopped
- 1¼ cups finely chopped scallions or white onions
- 2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup carrots, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup white potatoes, peeled and cubed
- About 1 teaspoon kosher salt (amount depends on how much salt is already in your stock!)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ tablespoons dried mint
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
- 1 large yellow squash or zucchini, stem and end discarded
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the filling: Place all the filling ingredients in a bowl and squeeze together with your hands until smooth. Taking 1 level teaspoon of the mixture at a time, roll into balls and place on a tray. Set aside.
Step 2
Prepare the outer shell mixture: Pour ground rice (or Cream of Rice cereal) into a food processor and pulse with the meat and salt until a smooth “dough” is formed.
Roll 1 level tablespoon of the dough into a ball, and place it onto a separate tray.
Continue until mixture is finished.Step 3
Form and stuff the shells: Press your thumb into the center of one shell ball, and turn dough while pinching it into a thin, hollow cup. Take one of the filling meatballs and stuff it into the cup, then pinch it closed. Lightly dampen your palms with cold water, and roll it back into a smooth ball without cracks or lumps. If you prefer, you can pinch the ends to create a torpedo shape. (If you have extra meatballs, save them to toss into the soup.)
Step 4
Prepare the broth and serve: Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the celery, scallions (or onions), garlic, and parsley and mix well. Simmer partially covered, for 10 minutes.
Step 5
Add the carrots, potatoes, salt, and pepper. Grind the dried mint between your palms directly over the pot. Mix and continue to simmer 15 minutes, partially covered.
Step 6
Add the lemon (or lime) juice and mix. Place the whole squash (or zucchini) into the pot and continue to simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
Step 7
Gently drop each meatball into the soup, cover, and simmer about 45 minutes.
Step 8
Serve the soup: Just before serving, remove the squash (or zucchini), slice it into 1-inch rounds, and return it to the soup. Serve hot in a large serving bowl or in individual bowls.
Excerpted from Too Good To Passover by Jennifer Felicia Abadi. Copyright © 2018.
