AI-generated image
Ash-e torsh
Sour herb and plum soup
آش ترش (ash-e torsh): sour herb, rice and split pea soup with plums and pomegranate molasses
Ash-e torsh is the sour ash of Azerbaijan and Gilan, cooked in autumn in Tabriz and Rasht when sour plums and pomegranates come in, and loved as a cure-all on cold, damp days. Rice and yellow split peas cook with beetroot leaves and a heap of herbs, and the soup is soured with dried plums, pomegranate molasses and a little vinegar, so it is dark green, tangy and comforting. Serve it with bread and extra molasses. The common mistake is souring it at the start, which stops the split peas softening; add the acid only after they are cooked. Chef's tip: a spoonful of sugar is not cheating; Tabriz cooks add one to round off the sourness.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the soup
- 3 ½ oz yellow split peasrinsed and soaked for 1 hour
- 3 ½ oz short-grain ricerinsed
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 litres water
- 7 oz parsley, coriander, mint and chivesfinely chopped
- 5 ½ oz beetroot leaves or chardchopped
- 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
For the toppings
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
- 5 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp dried mint
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put the drained 3 ½ oz yellow split peas in a large pot with 2 litres water and 1 tsp ground turmeric. Bring to the boil, skim and simmer until the peas are soft.
30 minStep 2: Add 3 ½ oz short-grain rice and simmer, stirring from the bottom, until the rice is soft and breaking up.
20 minStep 3: Stir in 7 oz parsley, coriander, mint and chives, 5 ½ oz beetroot leaves or chard and 3 ½ oz dried sour plums (aloo torsh) or prunes and simmer until the herbs are dark and the plums soft.
20 minStep 4: Stir in 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp salt and simmer until thick. Taste: it should be clearly sour with a gentle sweetness.
15 minStep 5: Meanwhile fry 2 onions in 4 tablespoons of 4 tbsp sunflower oil over a medium heat until crisp and golden.
15 minStep 6: Warm the rest of 1 tbsp sunflower oil off the heat, stir in 1 tbsp dried mint and let it sizzle for a few seconds.
1 minStep 7: Serve topped with the onions and mint oil.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ash-e torsh take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 100 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Tiyula itumBlack beef soup
Tiyula itum, 'black soup', is the pride of the Tausug people of Sulu in the far south of the Philippines, cooked for weddings, Eid celebrations and when guests come home. Beef (it is a halal, pork-free dish) is simmered with ginger, lemongrass and turmeric, then darkened with pamapa itum, a paste of grated coconut toasted until almost black and pounded with spices. The broth looks dramatic but tastes smoky, earthy and gently peppery, with heat from chillies. Serve it with plain rice. Chef's tip: toast the coconut slowly, stirring all the time, until it is very dark brown but not ashy; burnt-to-ash coconut tastes bitter and ruins the soup.
Filipino
Ful nabitSprouted fava bean soup
Sprouted beans are ladled out with their cooking liquor in Cairo homes when the weather turns cold or someone is feeling run down, and Egyptians swear by the broth as a pick-me-up. The beans are soaked and left to sprout for a few days, then simmered with onion, garlic and cumin into a light, earthy soup that is sharpened at the table with plenty of lemon. You can eat the beans with a spoon or pop them from their skins. Allow 3 to 4 days for sprouting, although the hands-on work is only about 20 minutes. People with G6PD deficiency (favism) must not eat fava beans. Chef's tip: stop the sprouting when the shoots are about 1 cm long; longer sprouts taste grassy and bitter.
Egyptian
Miso soup
Miso soup (味噌汁) is drunk every day in homes all over Japan, at breakfast as well as dinner, beside a bowl of rice. The base is dashi; this vegan version uses kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito, which gives it a deep, rounded flavour. Silken tofu and wakame seaweed are the classic fillings. It takes ten minutes; just remember not to boil the miso. Chef's tip: add the miso at the very end and never let it boil. Boiling kills the miso's fresh, fermented aroma; Japanese cooks say the soup should only 'smile', with the surface barely trembling.
JapanesePerfect for:Winter warmers