Kibbeh in Yogurt Soup (Kibbeh bil Laban)
Small bulgur-and-meat dumplings simmered directly in a tangy garlic-and-mint yogurt broth, no frying involved. A gentle, warming mountain-village classic that is lighter than fried kibbeh but just as satisfying.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the kibbeh shell
Put the drained bulgur in a food processor with the shell meat, quartered onion, salt, pepper, allspice and cinnamon. Pulse until you get a smooth, sticky, reddish paste with no visible flecks of onion. Chill it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes — cold dough is much easier to shape and holds together far better.
- 180 g bulgur
- 250 g shell meat
- 1 small shell onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
✅ Done when: the paste is smooth and holds together firmly when pressed, with no bits of onion visible.
Cook the filling
Heat the ghee in a skillet over medium heat and cook the filling onion for 2–3 minutes until soft. Add the filling meat and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, for 6–8 minutes until browned and crumbly. Stir in the pine nuts, a pinch of allspice, salt and pepper, cook 1 more minute, then set aside to cool a little.
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 small filling onion
- 150 g filling meat
- 30 g pine nuts or walnuts
- pinch allspice (reserved)
- pinch salt (reserved)
- pinch black pepper (reserved)
✅ Done when: the meat is fully browned with no pink left, and the pine nuts smell lightly toasted.
Shape the dumplings
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Prepare the yogurt soup
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Simmer the kibbeh
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Make the garlic-mint finish
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Serve
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Make the kibbeh shell
Put the drained bulgur in a food processor with the shell meat, quartered onion, salt, pepper, allspice and cinnamon. Pulse until you get a smooth, sticky, reddish paste with no visible flecks of onion. Chill it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes — cold dough is much easier to shape and holds together far better.
- 180 g bulgur
- 250 g shell meat
- 1 small shell onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
✅ Done when: the paste is smooth and holds together firmly when pressed, with no bits of onion visible.
Cook the filling
Heat the ghee in a skillet over medium heat and cook the filling onion for 2–3 minutes until soft. Add the filling meat and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, for 6–8 minutes until browned and crumbly. Stir in the pine nuts, a pinch of allspice, salt and pepper, cook 1 more minute, then set aside to cool a little.
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 small filling onion
- 150 g filling meat
- 30 g pine nuts or walnuts
- pinch allspice (reserved)
- pinch salt (reserved)
- pinch black pepper (reserved)
✅ Done when: the meat is fully browned with no pink left, and the pine nuts smell lightly toasted.
Shape the dumplings
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Prepare the yogurt soup
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Simmer the kibbeh
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Make the garlic-mint finish
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Kibbeh bil laban grew out of the resourcefulness of mountain households, where yogurt and bulgur were kept on hand year-round and meat was used sparingly. Instead of frying the dumplings, as in the famous kibbeh of the coastal cities, mountain cooks simmered them gently in a seasoned yogurt broth, turning a humble combination of pantry staples into a nourishing, warming meal.
The dish became especially associated with the colder months, when a hot bowl of tangy soup felt most welcome, and it remains a staple of home cooking across Lebanon today, often made on weekends when there's time for the slow, careful process of shaping each dumpling by hand.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It shows a gentler, soup-based side of kibbeh, Lebanon's national dish, proving that the beloved bulgur-and-meat combination doesn't always need to be fried to be deeply satisfying.
💡 Fun Fact
Getting the yogurt soup silky instead of curdled is considered a real test of a cook's skill, which is why the egg white and cornstarch, along with patient, constant stirring, are treated as essential steps rather than shortcuts.
Lebanon, particularly the mountain villages where yogurt and bulgur have long been pantry staples
33.85°N, 35.86°E
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