Kubbeh soup

During my culinary adventures here in Tel Aviv, I have stumbled upon something very unique to the region. All over the Middle East will probably stumble across something called kibbe or kubbeh. It is a bulghur wheat or semolina crust filled with ground meat, usually lamb with onions and spices. It is then either shaped into a american football-like shape and fried, or it is cooked in a soup. There are however variations that are baked or even eat with raw minced lamb with bulghur. During my trips to Shuk Hatikva, I have sampled both the fried and soup versions of the dish. The fried kibbeh in my opinion is a great snack while browsing the market. The soup is great on a cold day or for a great lunch in the market. If you stop into a restaurant that specializes in the dish, you will have a selection to choose from. There is sweet kubbeh soup which has a tomato soup base to it with pieces of pumpkin. There is a lemony kubbeh soup which is very filled with tart lemon essence. There is also kubbeh with beets in it which I have not sampled yet. I had the sweet kubbeh. When they said it was sweet, it is not a sugary sweet. In my opinion the sweetness comes from the tomato base and the added pumpkin pieces. I thought it was quite delicious, but it is always worth a try. I would even include kibbeh and kubbeh soup in the same category as must tries while in Israel. It is unique and worth it. Enjoy!