Ash Anar is a traditional Persian pomegranate soup made with yellow split peas, spinach, herbs, and tangy pomegranate concentrate or molasses. This hearty vegetarian soup is deeply comforting, packed with plant-based protein, and perfect for fall and winter meals.
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When the weather turns cold, we all turn to warm comfort foods like soup. For my family, soup is enjoyed 365 days out of the year, no matter what the temperature outside reads.
The kids’ soup of choice is chicken noodle soup with lemon, which I make every week for their school lunches. But, after awhile, we crave some Persian comfort food and Persian soup.
Persian soups are all called ash. Not pronounced like the ash produced in fires, but with a long ‘a’ sound in ‘all’: aash. Persian ash are snot watered down, but thick soups filled with herbs and nutrition.
Today I am sharing one Persian soup, ash anar, pomegranate soup.
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Why this recipe works
- Hearty and Nourishing: This vegetarian Persian soup is made with yellow split peas, spinach, herbs, and rice, creating a satisfying and protein-rich dish that’s perfect as a meatless main course.
- Bright Pomegranate Flavor: Ash anar gets its signature tang from pomegranate molasses or concentrate. I prefer pomegranate concentrate for its bold, tart flavor and lower sugar content.
- Make-Ahead Magic: Like most Persian stews and soups, ash anar tastes even better the next day. Prepare it ahead of time and let the flavors deepen for a truly crave-worthy bowl.
- Perfect for Fall and Winter: With its seasonal ingredients, this Persian pomegranate soup is ideal for chilly nights, Yalda celebrations, or holiday meals.
- Unique and Traditional: Ash anar is a classic Persian recipe with a sweet-tart twist that stands out on any menu. It’s a beautiful and flavorful introduction to Persian cuisine.
Ingredients you need
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- Fresh herbs: This soup uses both fresh parsley and cilantro. Fresh herbs has more flavor and texture than dried.
- Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen spinach.
- Leek: You can use a small or medium sized leek. You can also substitute with 2 bunches of green onions.
- Basmati rice: Persian cuisine uses basmati rice. But because this is a soup, you can use any white rice. Understand that smaller grain rice will turn softer more quickly than long grain basmati rice.
- Yellow split peas: This adds some protein to the soup. You can also use lentils, but they will take longer to cook.
- Pomegranate concentrate: You can purchase pom concentrate at middle eastern stores or online. You can also make your own pomegranate molasses so you can control the amount of sugar. Because the concentrate does not have sugar, if the soup is too tart for you, you can add a little sugar. My family prefers no sugar.
- Pantry staples: Extra virgin olive oil, vegetable stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Pomegranate arils: I like to garnish the soup with fresh pomegranate. But this is optional.
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Step-by-step directions
- Sauté the leeks. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and rinse to remove the dirt between the layers. Once dried and chopped, sauté in hot oil until softened.
- Add greens. Add chopped parsley, cilantro, and spinach and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until they are softened and dark.
- Add broth. Stir in vegetable stock and lemon juice, then bring to a boil.
- Add rice. When soup is boiling, add rice and split peas. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Finish and simmer. Stir in pomegranate concentrate and sugar (if using).Simmer for 20 more minutes. When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with pomegranate arils.
Expert tips and recipe FAQs
I do like to garnish my ash fresh pomegranate arils. This is optional as pomegranates are a fall fruit. You can learn how to see a pomegranate yourself, pay extra and buy already seeded pomegranate arils from the grocery store, or skip the arils altogether.
If you are new to Persian cuisine and would like to try more Persian recipes, you must try ghormeh sabzi (Persian herb stew), tahchin (baked saffron rice cake) and kabob koobideh (Persian ground beef kabob).
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Yes! Ash Anar is naturally vegetarian and vegan. Just double-check that your pomegranate concentrate or molasses doesn’t contain any added gelatin or animal products.
Pomegranate molasses is sweeter and thicker, often with added sugar. Pomegranate concentrate tends to be more tart and intense in flavor, and is typically just reduced pomegranate juice. Both work, but concentrate gives a more tangy, traditional flavor.
If you can’t find concentrate or molasses, you can simmer unsweetened pomegranate juice to reduce it by half and intensify the flavor.
Persian Pomegranate Soup (Ash Anar)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- ¾ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1 leek
- 8 cup vegetable stock
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup basmati rice
- ⅓ cup yellow split peas
- ¼ cup pomegranate concentrate *see note below
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoon pomegranate arils (1 tablespoon per bowl)
Instructions
- Cut leek in half, lengthwise. Spread the layers of the leek open and hold them under running water to remove the sand and dirt trapped inside the leek. Pat leeks dry then coarsely chop.
- Heat a large stock pot on medium and add olive oil. When oil is hot, sauté leeks until softened, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add chopped parsley, cilantro and spinach and sauté until herbs darken and soften.
- Pour in vegetable stock and lemon juice. Cover pot and bring to a boil.
- When soup is boiling, add rice and split peas. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes.
- Stir in pomegranate concentrate and sugar (if using). Cover pot and simmer for 20 more minutes.
- Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, pour soup into individual bowls and garnish with 1 tablespoon pomegranate arils per bowl.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
