Kasha and Mushroom Kreplach with Vegetable Consommé

Italians have their tortellini, the Chinese have their wontons, and Jews have their kreplach: egg pasta shaped into triangular dumplings and traditionally stuffed with meat or chicken, but made here with mushrooms and kasha. These delicacies are usually eaten at the Jewish High Holidays, particularly at the meal before the fast of Yom Kippur. Among the many explanations for why we eat kreplach before Yom Kippur, one of our favorites is that we should eat stuffed foods to symbolize our wish for a full New Year. To cut down on the time and worry associated with creating a perfect kreplach, we suggest two shortcuts—wonton wrappers and an inexpensive dumpling press.

This is a great vegetarian alternative to chicken soup. The consommé is very light and it works well with traditional accompaniments, such as matzah balls (here).

The broth alone is an essential base recipe in our kitchen, used as a stock for other soups and sauces. You can vary the vegetables according to season or what you have on hand. When we’re doing a big dinner, and prepping a lot, we fill a stockpot and add all the saved potato skins, scallion tops, herb stems, carrot peels, zucchini ends, leek greens, etc., to create our own clear, clean-tasting broth. Or you can stockpile trimmings in a resealable plastic bag and store in the freezer for another day. If you don’t have trimmings, add 2 cups of roughly chopped non-cabbage-family vegetables for the best stock flavors.

Kasha and Mushroom Kreplach

Kasha, or buckwheat groats, and mushrooms pair perfectly to create a hearty, meaty filling for these dumplings. These can and should be made ahead of time and stored. You can freeze them for 2 months in plastic containers between layers of parchment or wax paper. Refrigerated, they last 4 days. The crumbled dried mushrooms are available at many markets. You can also use porcini powder and skip the straining of the broth.

MAKES ABOUT 50 KREPLACH

2 cups Vegetable Consommé (here), vegetable stock, or mushroom broth

2 tablespoons crumbled dried mushrooms, any kind

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

1 egg white, beaten until frothy

½ cup whole or medium buckwheat groats

2 cups finely chopped fresh mushrooms, cremini or white button

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped (about ½ cup)

¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon truffle oil (optional)

1 (10-ounce) package round gyoza or wonton wrappers

Olive oil, for the steamer

Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the dried mushrooms and remove the pan from the heat. Allow the mushrooms to soften, about 20 minutes.

Using a slotted or mesh spoon, remove the mushrooms and set aside. Allow the stock to rest about 5 minutes, then slowly strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Return the soaking liquid to the saucepan.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they begin to caramelize, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside, reserving the skillet. Return the stock to a boil.

In a small bowl, combine the egg white and groats and blend with a fork. Transfer the mixture to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring to break up the groats, until they begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Return the onions to the skillet and mix until the groats are well separated and dry. Add the reserved dried mushrooms and the fresh mushrooms and mix well, about 2 minutes. Add the boiling stock and continue mixing. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the carrots, dill, salt, pepper, and truffle oil, if using. Adjust the seasoning.

To form the kreplach, fill a small bowl with warm water. Place 1 wrapper on a flat surface and use a finger or pastry brush dipped in the water to moisten the edge. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center. Fold in half to make a half moon or triangle (depending on the wrapper shape) and seal the edges by pressing them together all along their edges with the prongs of a fork. (You can also use a dumpling press to do this.) Place the formed kreplach on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure that they do not overlap. At this point, you can freeze them or store them in the refrigerator for later use, separating the layers with parchment paper.

Use a bamboo steamer or a roasting pan with a fitted rack to steam the kreplach: Lightly oil the steamer basket or rack. If using the roasting pan, fill it with ½ inch of water and bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Working in batches, place as many kreplach in the steamer or on the rack as will fit without touching each other. Cover the bamboo basket or cover the pan with foil and steam until the edges are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining kreplach.

Transfer the kreplach to the hot soup or place them on platters and keep them warm in a 200°F oven.

Vegetable Consommé

MAKES 2 QUARTS

4 quarts water

3 medium leeks, white and light green parts, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 2-inch lengths

4 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

1 large onion, root end removed, skin left on, quartered

2 large parsnips, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

1 small celery root, peeled and cut into eighths

1 bunch fresh dill (stems included)

4 medium celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley (stems included)

4 sprigs fresh thyme, about 2 inches each (optional)

8 whole black peppercorns

2 to 3 cups vegetable trimmings, such as mushroom stems, pea pods, zucchini ends, potato skins, parsley root, onion skins, squash skins, tomato trimmings, or chopped assorted vegetables (non-cabbage-family)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed

Combine all the ingredients except the salt and kreplach in a large stockpot.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1½ hours.

Allow the stock to cool in the pot. Strain out the vegetables and peppercorns. Add the salt, taste, and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve with the kreplach.