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Kreplach: The Warm Jewish Dumplings That You Must Try

Jewish kreplach dumplings on a white plate
Jewish kreplach dumplings on a white plate.
Prep Time
2h
Cook Time
30 min
Yields
4-6 servings

Kreplach is a Jewish dumpling hailing from Eastern Europe and often enjoyed in chicken soup or lightly pan-fried. It’s typically reserved for high holidays or Friday night dinners, but makes an excellent addition to any meal (especially when it’s freezing outside!). Kreplach are usually meat or cheese-filled (but not both at the same time!) with a simple filling that has only a few ingredients but impactful flavour. Traditionally people would combine leftovers for the filling, like leftover pieces of brisket, chicken or liver so that not a single piece of meat would go to waste. We don’t always cook that way anymore, although it’s amazing to aspire to no-waste cooking. In this recipe, we’re using leftover chicken, you can cook it yourself or buy a rotisserie chicken and use those pieces. Whatever you choose, you’ll enjoy this delightful and warming recipe.

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ingredients

Dough:

2
eggs
½
tsp sea salt
¼
cup water
1 ½
cups sifted all-purpose flour (or oat flour if gluten-free)

Filling:

1
Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
1
yellow onion, diced
1 ½
cups leftover cooked chicken, light and dark meat
¼
tsp sea salt
Pinch of pepper
1-2
Tbsp fresh parsley, optional
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directions

Ingredients for kreplach Jewish dumplings
Step 1

For the dough, beat the eggs in a bowl, add the salt, water and one cup of flour. Lightly mix, then add the remaining flour.

Step 2

Knead the dough into a ball, if it’s too shaggy and dry, add one teaspoon of water at a time until it’s more flexible. If it’s too wet, add a bit more flour.

Step 3

Let the dough rest for at least an hour by placing it in a bowl and covering it with a damp cloth.

Step 4

While the dough is resting, make the filling. Add oil to a pan over medium heat, toss in the onion and sauté until golden. Set aside.

Step 5

Cut up the leftover chicken and place it in the food processor with the cooked onion, salt, pepper and parsley, if using.

Step 6

Blitz until a mixture forms, but do not over process so it becomes a paste. Set this aside, it’s now time to roll out the dough.

Step 7

Place the dough on a floured surface and roll it out until it’s an ⅛-inch thick. This process can be quite lengthy.

Step 8

Slice the dough into 3-inch squares and cover with a damp towel until ready to fill.

Rolled and cut dough for kreplach Jewish dumplings
Step 9

Place one heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of each square, water your fingertips first to help close into a triangle. (It’s best to have a little bowl of water nearby to continuously wet your fingers). If you like, close the loop of two ends of the triangle.

Related: Baklava Babka is a Must-Bake This Hanukkah

Step 10

Bring chicken soup or salted water to a boil, carefully drop in your kreplach, separate with a spoon and simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 11

Once boiled, if you like, you can pan-fry by placing a little bit of avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, add in the kreplach and cook for about 2-4 minutes per side, until golden. Alternatively, you can pan-fry the kreplach without boiling first – this is not traditional, but is equally delicious.

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