Soup-e Jo - Cream of Barley Soup

Ingredients

2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup of barley
4 cups of water
3 cups of chicken broth
1 carrot, grated
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cuo pf sour cream
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper
Parsley for garnish

Directions

A favorite among all, this classic recipe is easy to make and good for the soul. Similar to "chicken soup" it is a healthy alternative to the heavier "Aash" recipes and great for cold weather.

To make soup-e jo (barley), prepare some chicken broth and set aside. In a large pot, brown onions and garlic in the oil, and add barely, salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes and add water and bring to boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or until barley is tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the broth, carrot, leeks, sour cream and simmer covered for 30 minutes or so. Add lime juice to the soup to taste. You can also garnish with parsley and more lime juice to taste. You can also make this recipe with pieces of chicken in it which offers a good alternative for a whole meal.

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AAshe Jo - Barley Soup

Ingredients

125 g (1/4 lb) pearl barley
750 g (1.5 lb) fresh herb: parsley, spinach, chive, dill and coriander
125 g (1/4 lb) garbanzo beans
125 g (1/4 lb) read kidney beans
125 g (1/4 lb) lentils
1/4 cup white rice
3 to 4 medium onions
2 cups kashk (IF available, otherwise substituted by sour cream)
1 tbs dried mint
1 tsp tumeric
salt and pepper

Directions:

Soak all beans together for several hours, preferably overnight. Soak rice and barley together for several hours, preferably overnight. Cook the beans with enough water to cover for an hour over low heat. Then add rice and barley. Stir occasionally.

Clean the herbs removing coarse stems, wash, dry and chop finely. Add the herbs after 1/2 hour and continue to cook over low heat. Don't forget to stir occasionally. Simmer for a further 2 to 3 hours until all ingredients are tender and well blended. The outcome should be thick and not watery.

Remove from heat, add kashk keeping one tbs for garnish, salt and pepper and stir. Dish up into a serving dish. Slice the onions and fry in a little oil until it turns golden brown. Add mint and tumeric and stir. Garnish the soup with kashk and the fried onion.

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Aash-e Aab Leemoo

Ingredients: (4 servings)

basmati or long-grain rice, 200 grams
herbs (parsley, mint, coriander, spring-onion ends), 1 kg
ground lamb or beef, 500 grams
split peas, 3 spoons
fresh lime juice, 3-4 spoons
sugar, 2-3 spoons
marjoram, 2 spoons
mint, one spoon
onions, 4 large
cooking oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Peel and slice two onions and fry in oil until slightly golden. Add 4-5 glasses of hot water, split-peas, salt and pepper and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Wash rice and add to the aash. Cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Peel and grate two onions. Add to meat with salt and pepper and mix well. Shape into small balls and add to the aash. Wash herbs, chop finely, add to the aash, and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Add in lime juice, sugar, and marjoram (if fresh marjoram is used, it should be finely chopped). Mix well and cook for a few more minutes.

Fry mint in oil for a few minutes (if fresh mint is used, it should be finely chopped before frying). Add mint on top of the aash and serve.

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Aash-e Sholeh-Ghalamkar

Ingredients: (4 servings)

vegetables: parsley, dill, coriander, spinach, spring-onion ends, 500 grams
long-grain or basmati rice, 100 grams
peas, 100 grams
beans, 100 grams
lentils, 100 grams
beef or lamb, 500 grams
onions, 3 large
turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon
cooking oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Soak peas, beans and lentils in water for 4-5 hours. Peel and chop onions and fry in oil until slightly golden. Cut meat into small pieces and fry with onions until it changes color.

Add peas, beans, lentils, turmeric, salt, pepper and hot water, and cook over low heat for about one hour. Wash rice and add to the aash. Cook for another 20-30 minutes.

Wash vegetables and chop finely. Add to aash and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more hot water during cooking if necessary.

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Aash-e Reshte - Noodle & Beans

Ingredients: (4 servings)

reshteh, 400 grams (reshteh is similar to spaghetti in shape and should be obtained in Iran or from an Iranian store)
herbs (parsley, spinach, dill, coriander, and spring-onion ends, in equal amounts), 1 kg
chick-peas, 150 grams
black-eye beans, 150 grams
lentils, 150 grams
dried mint, 4 spoons (or 200 grams of fresh mint)
medium onions, 4
kashk, two glasses (kashk is thick whey and should be obtained in Iran or from an Iranian store)
flour, 2 spoons
cooking oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Soak chick-peas, black-eye beans, and lentils in warm water for about two hours. Peel and thinly slice onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Save half of the fried onions for later use. Add chick-peas, black-eye beans, lentils, salt, and pepper to onions. Add 2-3 glasses of hot water and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes. If necessary, additional hot water should be added while cooking.

Wash and finely chop the herbs. Add to the mix, and continue cooking over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Dissolve flour in a glass of cold water, add in, and mix well. Add reshteh and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Strands of reshteh should remain intact and uncut. Remove the mix from heat, and pour kashk evenly over it. Add fried onions on top.

Fry dried mint in oil for a few minutes. (If fresh mint is used, wash and finely chop it, then fry in oil.) Also add fried mint on top of Aash-e Reshteh and serve. This delicious dish is made especially on Chahar Shanbeh Suri to share with family, friends, neighbors, and the poor.

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Aabgoosht - Lamb Shank Soup

Ingredients: (4 Servings)

500 grams lamb or beef
1 cup of chicken peas (Nokhod)
1 cup of dried white beans
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium potatos, peeled
2 medium tomatos
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric

Directions:

Wash the meat and put it in a medium size pot, half filled with water, add the peas and beans, the onion, salt, turmeric and pepper and let it cook for 1-2 hours on medium-low heat.

Add the potatos and the tomatos (they get too soft too soon if you add them at the beginning), and let it cook on low heat until all the ingredients are soft.

Take the pot out, separate the juice from the ingredients and pour the ingredients in a bowl and using a potato masher (goosht-koob) or something similar, finely mash the whole mixture. Taste a small portion and add more salt/pepper if needed. When the mixture has a smooth texture, it can be served. The juice (Aab) is also served in separate bowls. The idea is to mix it with small pieces of Iranian bread.

Aash-e Gandom

Ingredients: (4 servings)

wheat, 100 grams
spinach, 700 grams
chick peas, 50 grams
black-eye beans, 50 grams
lentils, 50 grams
split peas, 50 grams
onions, 2 large
turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon
flour
cooking oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Soak peas, beans, lentils and wheat in water for 4-5 hours. Peel and chop onions and fry in oil until slightly golden. Add hot water, peas, beans, lentils, wheat, turmeric, salt and pepper, and cook over low heat for about one hour, stirring frequently.

Wash and chop spinach and add to the aash. Cook for another 10-15 minutes. Fry one spoonful of flour in oil for a few minutes and add to the aash. Stir and cook for a few more minutes.

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Aash-e Aaloo

Ingredients: (4 servings)

basmati or long-grain rice, 100 grams
herbs (parsley, mint, coriander, spring-onion ends), 500 grams
ground lamb or beef, 250 grams
pitted prunes, 300 grams
onions, 4 large
cooking oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Soak prunes in warm water for two hours. Peel and slice two onions and fry in oil until slightly golden. Make ground meat into 2 cm balls and fry with onions until colour changes. Add 3-4 glasses of water, and bring to a boil.

Finely chop herbs. Wash rice once with warm water. Add herbs, rice, prunes (including the water it was soaked in), salt and black pepper to meat balls. Mix well and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Aash-e Shalgham

Ingredients: (4 servings)

turnip, 500 grams
long grain or basmati rice, 100 grams
ground lamb or beef, 200 grams
onions, 2 large
split peas, 50 grams
turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon
mint, 100 grams fresh or 2 teaspoons dried
cooking oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Mix ground meat with grated onions, salt and black pepper. Shape into small balls, and fry in oil until colour changes. Add 4-5 glasses of hot water and split peas and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Wash turnip and rice. Peel turnip and cut into a few pieces. Add both to aash. Also add turmeric, salt and black pepper. Mix well and cook over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If using fresh mint, wash and chop finely. Fry mint in oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes and pour over aash when serving.

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Aash-e Anaar - Pomegranate Soup

Ingredients: (4 servings)

basmati or long-grain rice, 200 grams
herbs (parsley, mint, coriander, spring-onion ends), 1 kg
ground lamb or beef, 500 grams
split peas, 3 spoons
pomegranate paste, one glass
marjoram, 2 spoons
mint, one spoon
onions, 4 large
cooking oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Peel and slice two onions and fry in oil until slightly golden. Add 4-5 glasses of hot water, split-peas, salt and pepper and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Wash rice and add to the aash. Cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Peel and grate two onions. Add to meat with salt and pepper and mix well. Shape into small balls and add to the aash. Wash herbs, chop finely, add to the aash, and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Add in pomegranate paste and marjoram (if fresh marjoram is used, it should be finely chopped). Mix well and cook for a few more minutes.

Fry mint in oil for a few minutes (if fresh mint is used, it should be finely chopped before frying). Add mint on top of the aash and serve.

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Aash-e Gojeh-Farangi- Tomato Soup

Ingredients: (4 servings)

basmati or long-grain rice, 200 grams
herbs (parsley, mint, coriander, spring-onion ends), 1 kg
ground lamb or beef, 500 grams
split peas, 3 spoons
tomato paste, 5-6 spoons
marjoram, 2 spoons
mint, one spoon
onions, 4 large
cooking oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Peel and slice two onions and fry in oil until slightly golden. Add 4-5 glasses of hot water, split-peas, salt and pepper and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Wash rice and add to the aash. Cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Peel and grate two onions. Add to meat with salt and pepper and mix well. Shape into small balls and add to the aash. Wash herbs, chop finely, add to the aash, and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Add in tomato paste and marjoram (if fresh marjoram is used, it should be finely chopped). Mix well and cook for a few more minutes.

Fry mint in oil for a few minutes (if fresh mint is used, it should be finely chopped before frying). Add mint on top of the aash and serve.

eshgeneh (or eshkeneh)- persian onion Soup

Ingredients: (4 servings)

1 bunch Fenugreek (ShanBalileh)
1 small/medium onion
5 eggs
1/2 lb potatoes
1-2 tbl turmeric
salt and pepper to taste

Cook Time = 20-30 minutes

Directions:

Clean, chop, and saute the Fenugreek with onions. Add turmeric when the onion is turning brown and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Mix one egg with two cups of water very well, add salt, add chopped potatoes, and add to the add to the saute.

Simmer over medium for 10 minutes until the potatoes look almost ready and the water is boiling. Break and add the remaining four eggs, one at a time to the boiling soup (poached), let one form, and add another. When all four added, let it cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with Persian bread (lavash) and Torshi, if you wish. This is a very healthy, low fat, vegetarian dish to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Thanks to Bahram Saghari for this great recipe submission. To submit your own recipe, click here.

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