Every year, Good Friday meant no meat—and a vegetarian kibbeh my grandmother would start preparing the night before. I remember her sitting for hours, quietly washing, chopping, and sorting through wild greens she’d picked herself: mallow, dandelion, whatever the hills around were generous enough to offer. The filling always had chickpeas, onions, and that necessary sharpness from sumac. It was simple, but felt like a feast.
This version is a quiet homage with a not-so-quiet twist. I used chard instead of the wild greens—Teta, forgive the shortcut—but added something of my own: Maghdouché. Not a timid sprinkle, but a good handful.
Enough oregano leaves to bring that deep astringency, and enough pine nuts to do what they do best: add crunch and subtle, toasty fat.
Pumpkin Kibbeh with Maghdouché
Shell
– 2 cups fine bulgur
– ½ medium pumpkin (steamed, ~500–600g)
– ¼ cup flour
– 1 small onion, chopped
– 3 tbsp parsley
– 2 tbsp mint
– 1 tsp salt
– 2 tbsp olive oil
Filling
– 1 cup chickpeas (soaked overnight, cooked)
– 1 large onion, sliced
– 400g chard, chopped
– 1 tbsp sumac
– 1 handful Maghdouché
– 3 tbsp olive oil + extra
– Salt to taste
Shell prep
1. Steam pumpkin until soft.
2. Mix warm pumpkin with bulgur. Let rest 15 min.
3. Add flour, onion, herbs, salt, oil.
4. Knead into pliable dough.
Filling prep
1. Sauté onion in olive oil.
2. Add chard, cook until wilted.
3. Stir in chickpeas, sumac, Maghdouché, salt, more oil.
Assembly
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Oil a dish.
2. Press half the dough into base.
3. Spread filling on top.
4. Flatten rest of dough, cover filling. Smooth top.
5. Score surface, drizzle with oil.
Bake
30–35 min, until golden.