Gluten-Free Kreplach (Jewish Dumplings)

5 from 1 vote

Kreplach is a homemade dumpling made with gluten-free pasta dough and a savory meat filling. These kreplach are 100% gluten-free and delicious!

Prep Time50

Cook Time5

Total Time55

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Jewish

Keyword: gluten-free dumplings, jewish dumplings, kreplach

Servings: kreplach

Calories: 90kcal

Author: Jenny Levine Finke

Equipment

1 large Silpat mat optional
Plastic wrap
1 large stock pot
1 Rolling pin
1 7 1/4" cookie cutter (or wide mouth rimmed glass)

Ingredients

For the Dough

200 grams Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour see notes
3 large eggs

For the Filling

1 lb ground beef or see instructions below for using leftover meat
1 onion, yellow finely chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
additional seasonings if desired

Instructions

Prepare the Dough

Add the flour to a clean, well-floured surface (I use a large Silpat mat). Create a small well in the center of the flour, then add the eggs to the center of the well.
Use your fork to scramble the eggs and incorporate a little bit of flour at a time. Once the dough becomes too stiff to mix with the fork, use your hands to work the dough together into a sticky ball. Remember, gluten-free dough doesn't require kneading since there's no gluten to develop, so once the flour is fully incorporated into the eggs, it's done.
If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour. If it's too dry, add a few drops of water to the dough. The dough should be malleable.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Allow the dough to rest. Resting will give the flour time to absorb the eggs.

Prepare the Filling

Below are some suggested ways to make the kreplach filling. I've tried them all, and each filling is delicious in its own right.
(1) Fresh Ground Meat (as listed in the ingredient list above): Add 1 tbsp of avocado oil to a large, non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 lb of fresh ground beef and one chopped yellow onion. Sauté until the meat is cooked and the onion is soft and lightly browned. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and other spices to taste. Set aside to cool.
(2) Leftover Meat: You can use leftover meat from chicken soup or brisket. Mash the meat into small pieces with a fork or use your food processor to pulse the meat into smaller bits. Sauté an onion in a hot pan with a little oil, then add the leftover meat and additional seasonings to taste, and cook for a minute to bring all the flavors together. Set aside to cool.
(3) Vegetarian: You can make your kreplach without meat. Combine sautéed onions, mushrooms, and/or other vegetables, or use seasoned mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes instead.

Assemble the Kreplach

Cut the dough into two sections to make it easier to work with.
Roll out one section of the dough on a floured surface (I use a floured Silpmat mat) to be .25" thick or as thin as possible while still being able to handle the dough without it cracking.
Use a 7 1/2" cookie cutter (or the mouth of a wide glass) to cut out even circles in the dough. Place each circle on a tray and repeat the process with the other section of the dough.

Preparing the Kreplach

Add one packed tablespoon of the cooled filling to the center of each dough circle.
Lightly brush the edges of the dough with an egg wash or water, then gently fold one side of the dough over the other so that the edges meet. You can apply gentle pressure to secure each folded piece of dough in place.
Next, use a fork to gently secure the edges of each dumpling together (see image below). This will ensure the meat filling won't "leak" out.
Bring a pot of salted water or broth to a boil. Add the kreplach and cook at a rolling boil for 4-5 minutes or until the pasta is soft. Do not overcook the kreplach or the pasta will become mushy. The dough should still have a "bite" to it. Remove the kreplach from the water with a slotted spatula and set it aside.
Serve the kreplach immediately inside your soup or refrigerate the cooked kreplach to use later.
To warm the kreplach, take them out of the fridge and bring them to room temperature (or near room temperature). Place the kreplach in the hot soup broth for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition information is per kreplach without the soup.

Flour: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the flour by weight vs. volume. If you don't have a kitchen scale, please note that 200 grams of Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour equals approximately 1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons.

Dough: See my article, How to Make Gluten-Free Pasta With Two Ingredients!, for tips (and troubleshooting) on making the perfect gluten-free pasta dough.

Kosher: Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour is kosher parve. Use kosher ingredients to make this recipe kosher.

A word about other flours: I have not tested this recipe with other gluten-free flours, but feel free to try. Just make sure you're using a gluten-free flour blend that contains a combination of flours and starches as well as xanthan gum. If your gluten-free flour blend doesn't contain xanthan gum, add 1/2 tsp of it.

Filling: You'll likely have leftover meat filling. You can either make extra kreplach or enjoy the filling over rice or pasta for lunch.

Nutrition