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Chase Away Winter Chills With A Bowl of Israeli Soup

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Winter time in Israel is known to bring on a strong chill. You know winter has arrived when you here every Israeli come and ask what the soup of the day is; thus the soup obsession begins. As we get deeper into winter, here are the best soup joints to visit when in need of a warm and comforting bite.

So warm up like a local Israeli with these infamous soup restaurants.

 

Warm up with some savory soup

A Taste Of Israel

Hamarakia has been one of Jerusalem’s most beloved “food institutions” for over 16 years now. It’s is located on a side street, in a quiet corner at the city center, and it is known for its unique atmosphere and delicious soups. The restaurant is eclectically designed and soup is served in colorful bowls. Hamarakia feels like a living room where you can enjoy fine food, meet all sorts of people. All of their dishes are cooked on the spot, served hot and made of the freshest raw ingredients. The service is great and the staff is professional.  The food is served in a homely spirit, and the prices are very affordable.

So what’s on the menu? The soup menu changes daily. If you’re lucky, try the bean soup, leek soup, tomato soup, and lentil soup. There is also an extremely good homemade hummus, a Jerusalem shakshuka, labane (strained yogurt) with eggplant, a variety of salads, and a French crepe as a sumptuous dessert.

 

Yes- You can taste Israel in a bowl of soup

 

Mordoch- A Taste Of Home

The sign says it all: “At Mordoch, we roll kubbeh.” What are kubbeh, you ask? Why, they’re an entire class of meat-stuffed bulgur and semolina dumplings, often deep-fried and crispy, but in the context of soup, they’re big soft globes of pure epicurean pleasure. A few things first.

  1. Pronunciation: “Muh-rock Koo-beh Ah-dome” = Red kubbeh soup. Kind of  a mouth full, so let’s just call it “kubbeh.”
  2. Kibbe/kubbeh/kubbi/kubba: sort of a “tuh-may-toe v. tuh-maw-toe” deal here = dough balls (made from semolina or bulgar) stuffed with ground beef (vegetarian suggestion below). Apparently there are over 17 kinds throughout the Middle East.

Always Fresh--Kubbeh anyone?

 

Here’s a bit of Jerusalem trivia: Mordoch’s kubbeh-rolling motto comes from the time generations ago when legions of Kurdish grandmas from Nachlaot would descend on Mordoch and roll kubbeh in the kitchen all day as a way of hanging out and sharing gossip (with Nachlaot rapidly turning into another glitzy, vacant foreign-absentee-landlord playground, those days are sadly behind us).

OMG! Look at the vibrance of red kubbeh soup

A Taste Of Home

There’s nothing like cozying up on a rainy day in the comfort of your own home, in front of the TV with some soup and some Netflix. Hit up Zuppa to make this happen. Aside from everyday classics like vegetable and noodle soup, they have a rotating roster of daily specials, all of which are available in a variety of size options. You can also add extras and toppings to customize your chosen soup exactly to your liking.

For more ways to explore wintertime in Israel check out: https://www.talknsave.net/blog/rain-rain-go-away-how-to-kill-the-boredom-on-a-wet-rainy-day/

https://www.talknsave.net/blog/can-make-israels-winter-wonderland/

Also here’s how to take the stress out of winter packing:

https://www.talknsave.net/blog/insiders-packing-hacks-surviving-winter-israel/

Beth Zuckerman
Beth Zuckerman
Beth is a former Upper Westsider, who made aliyah 8 years ago. She is a coffee addict and a lover of classical rock. Beth is the content and marketing manager at talknsave, in that order.

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