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Ash-e jo
Barley and chickpea soup
آش جو (ash-e jo): pearl barley, chickpea and herb soup finished with kashk
Ash-e jo is a winter staple in Tehran, Kashan and the cold cities of the plateau, and many families cook a huge pot in the month of Ramadan to break the fast. Pearl barley simmers with chickpeas, beans and lentils until it turns creamy, then plenty of herbs and a swirl of kashk make it tangy, savoury and filling. Serve it hot with bread and extra kashk at the table. The common mistake is skipping the soaking, which leaves the chickpeas hard long after the barley has gone to mush; soak them overnight. Kashk contains dairy. Chef's tip: the soup thickens a lot as it stands, so make it a day ahead and loosen it with hot water as you reheat.
- Total time
- 140 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the soup
- 5 ½ oz pearl barleyrinsed and soaked for 2 hours
- 2 ⅞ oz dried chickpeassoaked overnight
- 2 ⅞ oz dried kidney or pinto beanssoaked overnight
- 2 ⅛ oz green lentilsrinsed
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2.5 litres water
- 9 oz parsley, coriander, spinach and leek greensfinely chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- ¾ cup liquid kashkplus extra to serve
For the toppings
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
- 5 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp dried mint
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Drain 2 ⅞ oz dried chickpeas and 2 ⅞ oz dried kidney or pinto beans and put them in a large pot with 2.5 litres water, 1 onion and 1 tsp ground turmeric. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer for 1 hour until almost soft.
60 minStep 2: Add the drained 5 ½ oz pearl barley and 2 ⅛ oz green lentils and simmer, stirring from the bottom often, until the barley is soft and the soup is creamy.
35 minStep 3: Stir in 9 oz parsley, coriander, spinach and leek greens and 2 tsp salt and simmer until the herbs have darkened and the soup coats a spoon thickly.
20 minStep 4: Meanwhile fry 2 onions in 4 tablespoons of 4 tbsp sunflower oil over a medium heat until crisp and deep golden. Lift out onto paper.
15 minStep 5: Warm the rest of 1 tbsp sunflower oil, take it off the heat and stir in 1 tbsp dried mint for a few seconds.
1 minStep 6: Thin ¾ cup liquid kashk with 3 tablespoons of hot water and stir most of it into the pot off the heat. Taste for salt, as kashk is salty.
3 minStep 7: Serve in bowls topped with the remaining kashk, fried onion and mint oil.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ash-e jo take?
- About 140 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of dried chickpeas?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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