Persian Aash Recipe

This is a super nutritious soup, filled with delicious fresh vegetables and herbs, full of protein, vitamins and iron and that can be enjoyed as a hearty meal, any time of day. I call this my ‘super-greens’ fix! Great for those days when you need some extra energy and helps to build your immune system with its fully packed nutrients.

Serves 4

Ingredients

•1 cup green lentils

•½ green mung beans or yellow split peas

•¼ cup Basmati rice (washed and drained)

•1 cup fresh parsley

•2 cup fresh coriander

•2 cup fresh spinach

•1 can aduki or red kidney beans

•1 tsp sea salt

•Black pepper to taste

•1 tsp turmeric

•1 tsp dried mint

•1 tsp olive oil

•1 tsp truffle oil (in place of using garlic)

•Plant-based yogurt or lemon juice to serve

•Optional: you can add 1 small onion, diced and fried and 2 cloves garlic finely sliced and fried to the dish

Method

-In a big saucepan, add the lentils, beans and rice with 4 cups water and bring to boil. Remove any frothiness from the top. Turn heat down and simmer gently for 1 hour, until all ingredients are cooked

-Wash and finely chop all the greens and add to the saucepan with the lentils and beans. Leave to cook for 30 minutes

-In a frying pan add the oils and dried mint and saute for 2 minutes (if using onion and garlic, you can fry these at this stage and add to the soup)

-Add the turmeric to the frying pan and saute for 1 minute

-Add turmeric and mint along with salt & pepper to the soup pot and mix

- Add approx. 4 more cups of just boiled water and mix (you may need a little more depending on how thick you want the soup - not too runny)

-Leave to simmer gently for 20 minutes

-Serve in bowls with a tablespoon of plant-based yoghurt or a squeeze of lemon juice

-Enjoy with warm toast

Note: I don’t use onions and garlic in my recipes as they can cause inflammation in the body as will as digestion problems however we are all different and act differently to ingredients so please feel free to add if desired.

Want to get your hands on my latest Cookbook: Middle-Eastern Nutritious Cooking ~ Plant-based which includes many of your best loved Persian dishes?