If you’re from the Chicago suburbs and grew up in the 1990’s and early 2000’s you were raised on a restaurant called The Bagel.
For a restaurant with that name, I don’t think I ever once saw someone order a bagel. You see, The Bagel was a Jewish deli meets breakfast house meets old school family dining establishment, all with a Broadway theme. They were known for their soups sandwiches, as well as their pancakes, and especially for the large tray of pickles that they would bring to your table the minute you sat down.
Sadly, The Bagel closed a couple of years ago. This was the only place I knew that made kreplach soup and since it’s closure there has been a large kreplach shaped hole in my heart.
This recipe is a tribute to the best kreplach soup from my favorite deli in my hometown. It is nostalgic and comforting and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Filling
1 Pound ground beef (I used 85/15)
½ White onion
2 Cloves garlic
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
½ Teaspoon ground black pepper
Chop the onion and place into a sautee pan over medium heat. Cook for 5-8 minutes until translucent. Add the chopped garlic cloves and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Remove the onion and garlic from the pan. Brown the ground beef until cooked through.
Place the onion mixture and ground beef (along with any fat in the pan) into a food processor and pulse 6-8 times until a rough paste forms.
Dough
2 Cups all purpose flour
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon salt
¼ Cup cold water
Place the flour, eggs, and salt into a food processor. Turn the food processor on and slowly add the cold water in through the spout until a ball of dough forms.
Once the dough begins to come together, take out of the food processor and knead just a couple of times.
Let the dough rest for 30 minutes (wrapped in plastic wrap).
Once the dough is rested, roll out the dough and cut into 2inx2in squares. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling into the center of each square.
Take one corner of the dough and fold over so that it is on top of the corner diagonal from it. Pinch the sides together well to make sure they are sealed.
With the remaining two corners, fold them towards the middle of the triangle and press them together.
Boil the kreplach in a large pot of salted water for 10-12 minutes.
Enjoy in chicken soup or pan fry them for a delicious snack!
