SAEDNEWS: Tomato Ash Soup is one of the traditional dishes enjoyed during the warm seasons of the year. It is simple to prepare, yet its unique and delightful flavor can bring the whole family together on a pleasant afternoon.
According to Saednews, Tomato ash, known in Tabriz as Aash-e Abghooreh or Bamadoor Aashi, is a traditional and popular Iranian soup with a pleasantly sour taste. Thanks to its nutritious ingredients, it is considered beneficial for overall health, especially liver health. Below is the step-by-step recipe.
Fresh tomatoes: 500 g (about 4 medium)
Half-cracked rice: 1/2 cup
Black-eyed peas: 1/2 cup
Wheat bulgur: 1/4 cup
Ash herbs (leek, parsley, cilantro, a little spinach): 300 g
Medium onions: 2
Tomato paste: 2 tbsp
Homemade verjuice (or sour grape juice): 1/2 cup (or to taste)
Dried mint: 2 tbsp
Grated garlic: 2 cloves
Meat stock cube: 1
Olive oil or vegetable oil: as needed
Salt, black pepper, turmeric, and chili flakes: to taste
Soak the black-eyed peas in warm water overnight and change the water several times to reduce bloating.
Cook them in a separate pot with boiling water, salt, and a whole onion until half-cooked. Then drain and set aside.
Tip: Cooking the beans with onion helps remove their raw smell. Discard the cooking water as it can darken the soup.
Wash the tomatoes, peel them, and blend or grate them into a purée.
In a small pan, sauté the tomato paste with a little oil until its raw taste is removed.
Finely chop the onions.
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft and golden.
Add turmeric, grated garlic, and chili flakes and sauté for another minute until fragrant. Add 1 tablespoon dried mint and stir.
Then add the tomato purée and sautéed tomato paste to the pot and mix well. Add the meat stock cube and enough water (about one jug).
Add the washed rice, bulgur, and half-cooked black-eyed peas to the pot.
Reduce heat and let everything cook slowly for about 45 minutes.
Wash, dry, and finely chop the ash herbs (leek, parsley, cilantro, spinach).
Add them to the pot and cook for another 20 minutes over low heat until softened.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the verjuice and stir well to distribute the sour flavor.
Adjust salt and verjuice according to taste.
Pour the ash into serving bowls.
Heat some oil in a small pan, sauté dried mint and fried onions carefully (do not burn the mint).
Garnish the ash with fried onions, mint oil, and optionally some thick yogurt. Serve hot.
