Persian Pomegranate Soup (Ash-e Anar)

This hearty, Persian Pomegranate Soup (Ash-e Anar) will nurture your soul with spinach, yellow split peas and the tang of pomegranate.

When the weather turns cold, we all turn to warm foods. The cool weather comes late to San Diego, some would even say that San Diego is always cool. But despite the actual temperature outside, fall means that pomegranate season is upon us. And for my family, we always do a happy for pomegranate season.

No matter WHAT the temperature is outside, my husband and two kids could eat soup for every day of the year. Me? Not so much. My husband likes to joke that if it wasn’t for the two younger kids loving soup so much (and the veggies I cram in it!), than my hubby would never get any soup!

The kids’ soup of choice is chicken noodle soup with lemon. I make this homemade treat about once a week now. But, after awhile, my husband request soup that HE really likes, which means comfort food and Persian soup.

Persian soups, called “Ash,” are some of the most nutritious soups I’ve seen. They aren’t liquidy, like a can of Campbell’s soup. They are what Rachel Ray calls, “Stoups” – a cross between a stew and a soup, super full of vegetables, rice and meat.

And with pomegranates in season, I decided to make one of my personal favorites: Pomegranate Soup, or Ash-e Anar. This particular recipe is without meat, perfect for my vegetarian friends. It is filled with fresh parsley, cilantro, leeks and spinach. What gives this aash it’s special taste is the use of pomegranate concentrate, which is pomegranate juice that is boiled down to a thick syrup. Pomegranate molasses has added sugar in it, so I prefer using the concentrate which is tangier.

I like to garnish the soup with fresh pomegranate seeds, which we always seem to have in the fridge this time of year. My kids love these little jewels. My husband and I can’t peel them fast enough! If you want to learn the right way to seed a pomegranate, check out my post/video here.

Stay warm and bundle up this cold winter, even though winter hasn’t officially hit yet! We have about ten days until that happens with the longest night of the year. But, don’t be depressed. After that, the nights will get shorter and shorter and soon we will all be complaining about the heat again!!

Persian Pomegranate Soup (Ash-e Anar)

Author:

Laura Bashar

This hearty, Persian Pomegranate Soup (Ash-e Anar) will nurture your soul with spinach, yellow split peas and the tang of pomegranate.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup parsley, American, chopped
• 3/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped
• 1 cup spinach, fresh, chopped
• 1 leek
• 8 cup vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup basmati rice, uncooked
• 1/3 cup yellow split peas
• 1/4 cup pomegranate syrup
• 2 TBS granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
• 6 TBS pomegranate arils, (1 TBS per bowl)

Directions:

1. Heat a large stock pot on medium and add:
• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2. When oil is hot, add:
• 1 cup parsley, American , chopped
• 3/4 cup cilantro, fresh , chopped
• 1 cup spinach, fresh , chopped
3. Cut in half, lengthwise:
• 1 leek
4. Spread the layers of the leek open and hold them under running water to remove the sand and dirt trapped inside the leek.
5. Coarsely chop leeks and add to the mixture in the pot.
6. Cook vegetables for 15 minutes.
7. Pour in:
• 8 cup vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
8. Cover pot and bring to a boil.
9. When soup is boiling, add to pot:
• 1/2 cup basmati rice , uncooked
• 1/3 cup yellow split peas
10. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes.
11. Stir in:
• 1/4 cup pomegranate syrup
• 2 TBS granulated sugar
12. Cover pot and simmer for 20 more minutes.
13. Season soup to taste with:
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
14. When ready to serve, pour soup into individual bowls and garnish with:
• 6 TBS pomegranate arils , (1 TBS per bowl)

Notes:

Cooking Tips: If you do not have pomegranate syrup, you can substitute it with 1 cup pomegranate juice. You can also substitute yellow split peas with lentils.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Yield: Serves 6

Cook Time: 1 hour 20 mins

Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins

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