From: New Food For Life by Najmieh Batmanglij
Soups and Ashes: “Soup plays a vital role in Iranian traditions. Many different kinds of soups are served to mark special occasions, and sharing a bowl of soup is believed to forge the bonds of friendship. Some soups are thin, but many are thick and substantial enough to serve as main course. An ash (rhymes with squash) is a wonderfully flavored thick soup. In Persian, the cook is called ash-paz, or the soup preparer, and the kitchen is ash-paz khaneh, the place where soup is prepared. For best results, make the ash a day in advance to give the flavors a chance to meld, and reheat it just before serving. Add the garnish at the last minute, after pouring the soup into the tureen. We Persians like to decorate our soups with various garnishes, creating patterns that are pleasing to the eye. Just before serving, stir in the garnish. Serve with a crusty Persian bread like sangak, lavash, or pita.”
Sweet & Sour Soup (Ash-e-miveh)
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
Soup: 3 onions, 2 peeled and thinly sliced, 1 peeled and grated; 1 pound ground meat or chicken; 2 ½ tsp. salt; ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper; ½ tsp. ground cinnamon; 1 cup chopped fresh parsley; ½ cup oil; ½ tsp. turmeric; ½ cup yellow split peas or dried chickpeas; 8-10 cups water; ½ cup chopped fresh chives or scallions; ½ cup fresh beet leaves; ½ fresh chopped mint; 1 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves; 1 cup dried pitted prunes; 1 cup dried apricots; ½ cup rice; ¼ cup walnuts; ¼ cup sugar; ¼ cup red wine vinegar
Garnish: l large onion peeled and finely sliced; 5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed; 2 Tbsp. oil; 1 tsp. dried mint flakes crushed; ¼ tsp. turmeric
Directions:
1- In a bowl, combine grated onion with ground meat. Add ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, ¼ tsp. cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp. parsley. Mix well and shape into meatballs the size of a walnut.
2- Brown the two sliced onions in ¼ cup of oil in a large pot. Sprinkle with 2 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, and turmeric. Add the split peas or chickpeas and sauté for a few minutes. Pour in 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3- Add the remaining parsley, chives or scallions, beet leaves, fresh mint, and coriander, then simmer, covered, 25 minutes longer.
4- Add prunes, apricots, and meatballs and cook, covered, for 25 minutes more.
5- Add rice and walnuts. Cover and cook for 45 minutes longer.
6- Mix the sugar and vinegar together and stir into the soup. Cook for about 25 minutes longer. Add more warm water if the ash is too thick. Taste for seasoning and add more sugar or vinegar if needed to balance the sweet and sour.
7- Shortly before serving, prepare the garnish by browning the onion and garlic in 2 Tbsp. oil in a non-stick frying pan. Remove from heat, add crushed mint flakes and turmeric to the pan, and mix well.
8- Pour warmed soup into a tureen. Pour the garlic and mint garnish on top and serve with Persian flat bread, sangak, or lavash.
Note: For richer, more developed flavors, make your soup the night before. Just before serving, warm up the soup and add the garnish mixture of browned onions, garlic, and mint.
