Our pumpkin kibbeh has a luscious mushroom and lentil filling, which is a vegan twist on the traditional Middle Eastern meat filled bulgur wheat pie. Add pumpkin to the dough to make this kibbeh super moist, flavorful and totally Thanksgiving-worthy. After all, Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be all about the turkey.
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Pumpkin Kibbeh Recipe
Add pumpkin to the dough to make this kibbeh super moist, flavorful and totally Thanksgiving-worthy.
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 1x
Ingredients
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For the kibbeh dough:
- 1 ½ cups bulgur wheat
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baharat (you can replace baharat for allspice)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the filling:
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (24 oz) pack baby bella mushrooms, chopped very fine (we recommend using a food processor)
- 1 medium onion, chopped very fine (we recommend using a food processor)
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baharat (you can replace baharat for allspice)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup black beluga lentils, thoroughly rinsed (you can also use brown or French lentils)
For assembling the kibbeh:
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- pine nuts, for garnish
Instructions
- To make the kibbeh dough: In a large bowl, combine bulgur wheat and boiling water. Cover it with a plate and let it sit for 20 minutes.
- Add salt, baharat, cinnamon and pumpkin and mix well.
- Add flour and mix well to form a dough (the dough will be wet).
- To make the filling: In a small bowl, whisk olive oil and tomato paste until well incorporated. Transfer to a large skillet and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until it becomes dark red, stirring often (keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn).
- Add onions and mushrooms to the skillet and mix until well coated. Add salt, baharat and cinnamon.
- Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until mushrooms are fairly dry.
- In the meantime, cook lentils in a small pot with 4 cups of water and ½ tsp salt. Bring to boil and cook over medium for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked, but have a slight bite to them. (Please note that the cooking time for the lentils will depend on the type of lentils used. We recommend checking after 20 minutes.)
- Combine lentils and mushroom mixture in a bowl. Mix well and set aside to cool
- To assemble the kibbeh: Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Drizzle 1 Tbsp vegetable oil at the bottom of a 11x7x3 rectangular baking dish and spread evenly using your fingers.
- Press a little less that half the kibbeh dough on the bottom of the baking dish. Prick the kibbeh all over with a fork, Spread the filling evenly on top.
- Divide the remaining dough into 10-12 balls. Gently flatten each one with your hands and place them on top of the filling, until it’s completely covered.
- Score the top dough to make a diamond pattern and garnish each diamond with a pine nut. Drizzle the remaining 2 Tbsp vegetable oil on top and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Sephardic
You can replace baharat *with* cinnamon, not for cinnamon.
How many people does this serve?
Hi Susanna, the recipe serves 4-6. Enjoy!
Can this made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen? Then baked the day of? I can’t wait to make it, but have so many other last minute dishes to make!
Hi Debra, We haven’t tested making this recipe ahead but please let us know how it goes if you try it.