Jewish Soul Food: From Minsk to Marrakesh, More Than 100 Unforgettable Dishes Updated for Today's Kitchen

2. Put the matzo meal in a bowl and pour the boiling water mixture over it. Whisk vigorously and cool slightly. Stir in the eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, onion and oil, parsley, dill, and cilantro. Cool to room temperature.

3. Fill a large pot with water, add 1 teaspoon salt for every quart of water, and bring to a boil.

4. With wet hands, form dumplings the size of a walnut (Hadassah prefers them torpedo shaped). Slide them into the boiling water (in two or three batches; don’t crowd the pot) and cook for 10 minutes. Serve in a piping-hot chicken soup (3 or 4 balls per serving). You can also boil the kneidlach in the soup. This will add flavor, but the soup will turn a bit cloudy.

MAKING AHEAD

Kneidlach are at their best if cooked on the same day (ideally up to 4 hours before they are served). But, if necessary, it is possible to keep cooked dumplings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm them with the soup or separately.

PASSOVER GREEN CHICKEN SOUP

ALGERIAN

Hadassah Kavel was born in Romania and grew up in Israel, but in her extended family she is considered the ultimate authority on Jewish Algerian cooking. She earned this reputation during forty years of marriage to Gerard, an Algerian Jew, who is as much into cooking as she is. Their famous Seder meals celebrate the best of Jewish Algerian cuisine with some add-ons from Hadassah’s own culinary legacy.

Soups with fava beans and green vegetables are a must at the Seder table of North African Jews. Usually diners break matzo into the soup to make it more substantial, but Hadassah prefers to serve the soup with her famous matzo balls.

Serves 10 to 12

1 whole chicken (3 pounds/1½ kg), separated into 8 pieces

1 turkey neck, cut into a few chunks

3 cardamom pods

3 bay leaves

10 allspice berries

2 large fresh sage leaves

5 small onions

4 to 5 carrots, sliced into 1-inch (2½-cm) coins

1 celery root (celeriac), quartered

1 fennel bulb (only the outer leaves)

1 cabbage stalk (the hard part without the leaves)

1 small bunch fresh dill

1 small bunch fresh cilantro

1 small bunch fresh parsley

3 to 4 celery stalks, with leaves

¾ cup peeled fava beans, fresh or frozen

½ cup garden peas, fresh or frozen

1. Fill a large pot (about 8 quarts/8 L) three-quarters full with boiling water. Add the chicken pieces and turkey neck and boil for 5 minutes. Drain, save the meat, and wash the pot.

2. Return the meat to the pot and add fresh cold water so that it reaches three-quarters of its volume. Put the cardamom, bay leaves, and allspice in a piece of cloth and tie in a bundle. Add to the pot. Add the sage, onions, carrots, celery root, fennel, and cabbage and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

3. Drain the liquid through a fine sieve and pour the broth back into the pot. Save the chicken and cooked vegetables in separate containers. Up to this point, the soup can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

4. When ready to serve, bring the broth to a boil. Tie the dill, cilantro, parsley, and celery in a bundle and add to the broth. Add the fava beans and peas. Return to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the herbs. Serve with pieces of matzo or with matzo balls.

THE DAY AFTER SEDER SALAD Hadassah doesn’t serve chicken and vegetables with the soup but saves them for the lunch she serves on the first day of the Passover week: Separate the chicken meat from the bones while it is still warm (it is easier that way) and shred it into small pieces. Chop the cooked carrot (from the soup). Add freshly chopped onions and capers and dress with mayonnaise (preferably homemade) seasoned with mustard and minced garlic.

GONDI NOHODI | Chickpea and Chicken Dumplings in Turmeric-Lime Broth

PERSIAN

We first met at Eden, a modest Persian restaurant in downtown Tel Aviv. A couple of biggish, grayish dumplings, looking like matzo balls on steroids, sat in the middle of a vividly yellow broth. I took one tentative bite and fell in love. Meaty, exotically spiced, their texture succulent yet light, gondi dumplings were a revelation.

As with most ethnic recipes, there are immense variations in cooking techniques. This recipe is quite straightforward and yields fluffy and flavorful dumplings. To make it, you will need toasted chickpea flour, available at health food stores, Indian groceries, and spice shops. Another unique ingredient is lemon omani—Persian dried lime. Almost black and hard, the limes look like lemons that were forgotten for months in the kitchen cabinet. They add elusive smoky tartness to the broth and are worth seeking out, though not a must. They are pretty common in Middle Eastern groceries or you can buy them online (see Mail Order Sources, for both ingredients).

Serves 6 to 8

For the broth

4 chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks)

1 cup chickpeas, soaked in water overnight

2 onions

2 zucchini or summer squash, cut into large chunks

2 to 3 Persian dried limes (lemon omani; optional)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

10 cups water

Salt

For the dumplings

1 pound (½ kg) finely ground chicken breast

1 cup toasted chickpea flour (available at spice shops, Indian groceries, and health food stores; see Mail Order Sources)

3 onions, grated

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Salt and white pepper

¼ cup vegetable oil

1. Prepare the broth Place the chicken legs, chickpeas, onions, and zucchini in a large pot. Prick the dried limes in a few places with the tip of a knife to release the flavor, then add to the pot. Season with the turmeric. Add the water and bring to a boil. Skim the foam off the top of the broth and cook over low heat for about 1 hour. Taste and season with salt.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings Mix the ground chicken, chickpea flour, onions, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, salt, white pepper, and vegetable oil and knead thoroughly for 2 to 3 minutes. If the mixture is too dry, add a little bit of water (up to ⅓ cup).

3. Wet your hands or rub them with a bit of oil and form dumplings the size of golf balls (the dumplings will swell considerably during cooking).

4. Remove the chicken legs from the broth and set aside. Slide the dumplings into the simmering broth and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 1½ hours with the pot half covered.

5. To serve, pour the broth into serving bowls (not too much, about a third of a bowl). Add some of the reserved chicken legs and 2 or 3 dumplings per serving.

VARIATIONS

• Instead of chickpea flour, use toasted salty chickpeas (available at Indian groceries and health food stores) and grind them in a food processor. This will yield dumplings with a slightly chunky texture. Reduce the salt in the recipe.

• If you skip the dried limes, you may want to serve the soup with lemon wedges.

• It is possible to serve gondi over rice, as a main course. In this case, the broth serves as a sauce rather than a soup.

GONDALACH

ISRAELI

Is it gondi? Is it kneidlach? It’s gondalach! The ever-creative chef Erez Komarovsky brings together dispersed diasporas in these scrumptious and easy-to-make dumplings. You can replace the slightly bitter arugula with the same amount of chopped scallions. Erez cooks and serves the gondalach in a traditional chicken soup with some personal trimmings (such as shredded spinach, which he adds just before serving), but any homemade chicken soup is fit for the task.

Makes about 40 small dumplings; serves 10 to 12

1 pound (½ kg) ground chicken breast

¾ cup toasted chickpea flour (available at spice shops, Indian groceries, and health food stores, and online; see Mail Order Sources)

1 to 2 eggs

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup arugula leaves, finely chopped

½ cup scallions (white and green parts), finely chopped

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon ground caraway

½ teaspoon white pepper

Salt

About 3½ quarts (3 L) flavorful chicken soup, for cooking the gondalach.

1. Put the chicken, chickpea flour, 1 egg, baking soda, arugula, scallions, turmeric, cardamom, caraway, white pepper, and salt in a large bowl and knead for 2 to 3 minutes until soft and thoroughly combined. If the mixture is too thick, add another egg. Let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2. Bring the chicken soup to a boil.

3. With wet hands, form dumplings the size of a walnut and slide them into the soup. Cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

4. To serve, pour the soup into soup bowls, with 3 to 4 gondalach per serving.

LENTIL STEW WITH CUMIN, GARLIC, AND CORIANDER

SYRIAN (ALEPPAN)

I first tasted this soup at Bertie, one of my favorite restaurants in Tel Aviv. It was cold and rainy outside, and a bowl of hot, thick, fragrant soup was a perfect fit. So much so, that I approached Roi Antebi, chef and one of the owners, and asked for the recipe. It was so simple, I didn’t even need to write it down. The brilliant combination of cumin, garlic, and coriander seeds, along with freshly squeezed lemon juice, makes the flavor.

Serves 8 to 10

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 onions, thinly chopped

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 pounds (1 kg) yellow or orange lentils

3 quarts (3 L) water or chicken stock

½ cup fresh lemon juice

1 large bunch fresh cilantro (tied)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Croutons (optional)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, until translucent.

2. Crush the coriander and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle and add to the pot. Add the garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until very fragrant.

3. Add the lentils and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the lentils are soft and almost dissolved into the liquid.

4. Add the lemon juice. Tie the cilantro in a bundle and add to the pot. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 more minutes. Remove the tied cilantro. To serve, pour into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and croutons, if desired.

TIP

Legume soups (lentil, bean, chickpea) thicken considerably in the fridge. Add more water or stock when reheating.

The Magic of Lemon

Most soups taste better a day or two after they are cooked. And the reason: They sour slightly in the refrigerator, and this cuts through the earthiness of the starchy vegetables, legumes, and grains that form the base of most winter soups. Middle Eastern cooks don’t wait for the soup to go sour—they squeeze fresh lemon juice during or after cooking, which adds tartness, while also adding a citrusy scent. In Eastern European cuisines, a spoonful of sour cream does the job (see Krupnik).

BORSCHT | Beet, Cabbage, and Beef Soup

RUSSIAN, UKRAINIAN

In Israel (and North America, for that matter), borscht refers to a beet soup, served hot or chilled. In Russia and the Ukraine, its homeland, borscht is a much more elaborate affair, containing, in addition to beets, a variety of vegetables (notably cabbage), as well as chunks of beef and marrow bones. The following version should be consumed with thick slabs of rye bread.

Serves 8 to 10

¼ cup vegetable oil

3 onions, roughly chopped

1 leek (white and light green parts), roughly chopped

2 pounds (1 kg) lean beef chuck, meaty bone-in shank, beef flanken, or short ribs (depending on the amount of fat you prefer), cut into large chunks

2 marrow bones

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

4 to 5 celery stalks, with the leaves, roughly chopped

3 quarts (3 L) water

½ head red cabbage, roughly chopped

2 to 3 beets, peeled and coarsely sliced

1. Heat the vegetable oil in an ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, leek, meat, and bones. Cook for 5 minutes, or until browned. Season with salt, pepper, and brown sugar and stir well. Add the celery and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Add the water, cabbage, and beets. Bring to a boil, skimming the foam occasionally. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1½ hours. Add more water, as necessary, if the soup gets too thick.

3. Preheat the oven to 285°F (140°C).

4. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook for another hour.

5. Serve piping hot and make sure every diner has a chunk of meat in his or her soup bowl.

VARIATION

Add 2 to 3 potatoes, cut into wedges, for the last hour of cooking.

BATATA HAMOOD | Tart Potato and Celery Broth with Meatballs

SYRIAN (ALEPPAN)

Hamood in Hebrew means “cute,” which is why this soup’s name brings smiles to the faces of Israelis. In Arabic, however, it means “sour,” and this is how this Aleppan soup got its name. Based on potatoes and celery, perfumed with dry and fresh mint, and zinged with fresh lemon, it is light and refreshing. During the week, hamood is usually served over rice. A more elaborate version, reserved for Shabbat, contains kubbe dumplings. The following version, containing meatballs, falls somewhere in between: Easier than kubbe to make, meatballs add substance and flavor to the soup. Ruth Oliver, who contributed this recipe, told me that hamood with meatballs was a regular Friday lunch offering in the household of her mother, a twentieth-generation Jerusalemite Sephardic.

Serves 6 to 8

For the meatballs

1 onion

1 pound (½ kg) ground beef

2 tablespoons good-quality plain bread crumbs or matzo meal

3 tablespoons rice

⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 onions, cut into 1-inch (2½-cm) cubes

1 bunch celery (stalks and leaves chopped separately)

8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons (or more) dried mint

2 quarts (2 L) chicken stock or water

5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2½-cm) cubes

½ cup fresh mint, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

⅓ to ½ cup fresh lemon juice

Lemon wedges

1. Prepare the meatballs Grate the onion on a coarse grater and squeeze out the excess liquid.

2. Mix the grated onion with the beef, bread crumbs, rice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Knead thoroughly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Prepare the soup Heat the vegetable oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, chopped celery stalks, and garlic and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the dried mint and sauté for another minute.

4. Pour in the stock and add the potatoes, fresh mint, and celery leaves. Cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of the cooking, season with salt and pepper and add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

5. With wet hands, form meatballs the size of walnuts. Bring the soup to a rapid boil and slide in the meatballs. Return to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with lemon wedges and encourage diners to squeeze more lemon juice to taste.

VARIATION

HAMOOD SOUP WITH RICE Ladle 3 to 4 tablespoons cooked rice into each serving bowl and pour in the soup. In this case, you can skip the meatballs, but the combination of the two, if you can do both, is tasty and filling.

H’RIRA | Spiced Vegetables and Legume Soup

MOROCCAN

H’rira has its roots in Muslim Moroccan cuisine, where it is a popular dish served to break the Ramadan fast, but the Jews of Morocco fell in love with it and adapted it to their kitchens.

What sets h’rira apart is the dominant spice blend. Called ras el hanout, literally “head of the shop,” in Arabic, it can contain as many as fifteen spices, with every spice-shop owner having his or her own secret recipe. If you’d like to make your own mix, use the recipe provided. Otherwise, look for it in Middle Eastern groceries and gourmet stores (or see Mail Order Sources). This recipe was developed by Orly Pely-Bronstein, a renowned Israeli cookbook author.

Serves 10 to 12

2 beef shank bones

4 to 5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound (½ kg) stewing beef with a little fat, such as chuck or brisket, cut into large chunks

2 large onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

One 28-oz (800-g) can chopped tomatoes

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, or 2 cups canned and drained

1 cup green lentils

1 to 1½ tablespoons ras el hanout spice mix (see below or store-bought)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 quarts (4 L) water

3½ ounces (100 g) thin noodles (vermicelli) or ½ cup rice

Dash of sugar

⅓ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Lemon wedges

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. Put the shank bones on a baking sheet lined with parchment and roast until browned, about 20 minutes.

3. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the stewing meat and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and sauté for 2 minutes, scraping the brown bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, roasted shank bones, browned meat, chickpeas, and lentils and stir well.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of the spice mix, the tomato paste, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to the minimum and cook, covered, for 2½ hours.

5. Add the noodles and cook for 10 minutes (if using rice, cook for 20 minutes). Taste, add a little sugar to balance the acidity, and, if needed, more of the spice mix. To thicken the soup, mix the flour with 1 cup hot soup. Stir well, pour the mixture back into the soup, and stir to combine.

6. Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle with the cilantro and parsley, and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Ras el Hanout Spice Mix

If you make this spice mix, prepare a large batch. Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Use it to flavor soups and stews.

¼ cup sweet paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon white pepper

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground mace

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon saffron threads

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

MEAT KUBBE WITH A CHEAT

KURDISH, IRAQI

Kubbe (or kibbe) are meat-stuffed semolina and/or bulgur dumplings. Sometimes they are deep-fried, but in Kurdish and Iraqi cuisines they are usually cooked in soups or sauces. There are many variations of the dough with every possible combination of bulgur and semolina and many nuances to the filling. The trickiest part is shaping the dumpling, an art in which Kurdish and Iraqi grandmothers take a special pride.

Grandmas may consider it cheating, but here is a brilliant and user-friendly method in which you assemble the dumplings inside out: Rather than making dough balls, flattening them, stuffing them with the meat mixture, and smoothing them over, you make small meatballs, freeze them, and then wrap them with the dough. Whichever way you make the kubbe, prepare a double batch so you can freeze them and always have delicious dumplings on hand. You can add them to various soups (see Batata Hamood, Beet Soup with Kubbe, and Pumpkin Soup with Kubbe).

To make kubbe dough, you will need semolina and finely milled bulgur. The latter is not found in every supermarket, but is pretty common in gourmet stores, Middle Eastern groceries, and health food stores (see also Mail Order Sources).

Makes about 30 dumplings

For the dough

2 cups finely milled bulgur

1½ cups water

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons semolina (cream of wheat or cream of farina)

Salt

For the filling

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 pound (½ kg) ground beef

½ tablespoon baharat spice mix (available at Middle Eastern groceries and spice shops)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

1. Start the dough Put the bulgur in a bowl and rinse it several times, until the draining water runs clear. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve or strainer and return to the bowl. Add the water, stir, and leave for 30 minutes, or until the water is fully absorbed.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the meat and season with baharat, salt, and pepper. Stir-fry, crumbling the meat with a fork, until the meat changes color. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, and allow to cool.

3. Make small meatballs 1 inch (2½ cm) in diameter. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.

4. Prepare the dough Mix the semolina and ¾ teaspoon salt into the bowl with the bulgur. Knead with your hands for 7 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pliable. Add a little semolina or water as needed.

5. Pinch off pieces of dough and shape the dough evenly around the meatballs to create a thin and even shell (that is usually achieved by only the most advanced grandmothers). Use immediately, keep in the refrigerator for a day, or freeze.

VARIATION

TO ASSEMBLE THE KUBBE IN THE TRADITIONAL MANNER Wet your hands and form some of the dough into a golf ball–size ball. Hollow out the center with your thumb and pinch the sides to form a thin bowl. If the dough tears, patch it with a little additional dough. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the filling into the cavity, pinch the dough over to close the opening, seal, and roll it into a smooth ball. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.

BEET SOUP WITH KUBBE

IRAQI

There are two genres of this vividly violet soup: one thick and shiny, almost saucelike; the other, thinner and similar in texture to the eastern European beet borscht. I find the latter lighter and more befitting the hearty dumplings. This recipe is from Amir Kronberg, chef-owner of Gedera 26, a charming little restaurant on the outskirts of Hacarmel Market in Tel Aviv. Amir adapted it from his Iraqi grandmother’s recipe.

Serves 8 to 10

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 medium beets, halved and cut into thin wedges

5 carrots, sliced into 1-inch (2½-cm) coins

1 large onion, chopped

1 large bunch celery (stalks and leaves chopped separately)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon salt

3 quarts (3 L) water or chicken stock

2 to 3 tablespoons sugar

⅓ to ½ cup fresh lemon juice

20 to 30 kubbe dumplings

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the beets, carrots, onion, and celery stalks until the beets start to “bleed,” about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomato paste and season with the salt. Add the water and sugar and cook over medium heat for 1 hour.

3. Add the celery leaves and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The soup should have a nicely balanced sour-sweet flavor.

4. Bring the soup to a rapid boil and slide the dumplings into the soup (if you are using frozen ones, there is no need to thaw them). Shake the pot to distribute the dumplings evenly and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

PUMPKIN SOUP WITH KUBBE

IRAQI

Golden-hued, sweet and sour, and so easy to make! For best results, use good homemade chicken soup.

Serves 8 to 10

3½ pounds (1½ kg) pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) cubes

1½ cups canned crushed tomatoes

5 celery stalks, with the leaves, coarsely chopped

Small handful of golden raisins (optional)

1½ quarts (1½ L) chicken stock or homemade chicken soup

2 tablespoons sugar

½ cup fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

20 to 30 kubbe dumplings

1. Place the pumpkin, tomatoes, celery, and raisins (if using) in a soup pot. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender. Toward the end of cooking, season with the sugar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

2. Bring the soup to a rapid boil and slide the dumplings into the soup (if you are using frozen ones, there is no need to thaw them). Shake the pot to distribute the dumplings evenly and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Serve hot.