Ash-e Anar, Persian Pomegranate Soup
Ash-e anar is the pomegranate soup Iranians make in late autumn when the fruit is at its cheapest and reddest, a thick pottage of split peas, rice, and enough fresh herbs to turn the whole pot green. Its signature is sourness: pomegranate molasses, reduced from the juice, carries the flavor where another cook would reach for salt. Skip the traditional meatballs and the pot loses nothing, since the split peas already give it heft and protein. Buy molasses with no added sugar, taste as you go, and finish each bowl with toasted dried mint and a handful of fresh seeds.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Yellow split peas, rinsed
- 1/3 cup short grain brown rice, rinsed
- 1 whole Yellow onions, finely diced
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 cup Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 cup Cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup Mint, chopped
- 4 wholes Scallions, sliced
- 3 cups Spinach, chopped
- 3 tbsp Pomegranate molasses, no added sugar
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, ground
- 1 tbsp Dried mint
- 1/2 cup Pomegranate, seeds, to garnish
Method
- Sweat the onion in a pot with a few tablespoons of water until soft and golden, about 10 minutes, then stir in the turmeric for 1 minute. The turmeric needs a moment of dry heat to lose its raw, chalky edge before liquid goes in.
- Add the split peas and 6 cups (1.4 L) water and simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes until the peas are nearly tender. They anchor the pot first because the rice added next would blow apart if it cooked this long.
- Stir in the rice and simmer another 25 to 30 minutes, until the rice is soft and the soup has thickened. Short-grain rice sheds its starch as it cooks, which is what gives ash its body without any cream.
- Add the parsley, cilantro, mint, scallions, and spinach and simmer 15 to 20 minutes more, until the herbs collapse and turn the soup deep green. Long-cooked herbs are the substance of the dish here, not a garnish scattered at the end.
- Stir in the pomegranate molasses and taste. Add more a spoon at a time until the pot lands tart with a sweet edge, the sourness doing the work salt usually does. Use molasses with no added sugar, since many jars are sweetened. Season with the black pepper.
- Toast the dried mint in a dry pan for 30 seconds until fragrant, crumble it over each bowl, and finish with fresh pomegranate seeds for a burst of acid and crunch against the soft soup.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 220 calories, 10 g protein, 8 g fiber, 45 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
