Kubbeh Beet Soup

Preparing the dough:

• 1. In a bowl, soak the groats in 1 cup of cold water for about 30 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Add the semolina and salt and hand knead for 3 minutes until the mixture is set, soft and moist, from which you can carve out balls and then flatten and fill them. If the dough is too dry, add some water, one tablespoon at a time, until it has an elastic texture. If the dough is too soft, add a tablespoon of semolina and knead again. Don't be tempted to add a lot of semolina because the kubbehs will be too hard. When the dough is ready, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling and the soup.

Preparing the soup:

• 2. Heat some oil in a large pot and sauté the onion, beets, carrots and celery for 5 minutes until they soften. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add the sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook partially covered on a low flame for about an hour.

Preparing the filling:

• 3. Heat the oil in a skillet and steam the onion for 3 minutes until translucent. Add the ground beef and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef starts to fall apart and changes color. Add the spices and parsley, season to taste and transfer to a bowl to cool.

• 4. After wetting the palm of your hands with a small amount of water, create a ping pong-sized ball out of the dough and flatten it on your palm. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the middle of the dough, fold the dough over the filling, pinch to close and roll it into a perfect ball shape.  Place the ball on a moist tray (so it won't stick to the surface) and repeat the above process using the rest of the dough and filling.

• 5. Bring the soup to a boil and season to taste. Add the kubbehs one at a time and cook partially covered on a medium-low flame for around 20 minutes until they are ready. Serve hot.