Barley + Tahini Soup

Name: Barley + Tahini Soup (Osh-e Ardeh)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: Serves: 6 to 8
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: ½ cup/40 g chopped fresh dill; 1 serrano pepper, finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional); ¼ cup/50 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water with ½ teaspoon baking soda, drained, and rinsed; ¾ cup/180 g tahini paste, stirred well before using; 4 teaspoons tamarind paste; 8 cups/1.9 l stock or water; 2 cups/170 g chopped fresh cilantro; 1 cup/200 g peeled tomato puree (about 1 large tomato), or canned peeled tomatoes; 2 leeks, finely chopped (white and green parts); 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped; 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons oil or ghee; ¾ cup/150 g barley, rinsed and drained; ½ cup/100 g brown lentils, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed; 1 tablespoon fine sea salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1 teaspoon date molasses; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Osh-e Ardeh

Preparation info

Serves:
6 to 8

Difficulty
Complex
Ready in
3 hr

Appears in

Cooking in Iran

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2020

About

It’s interesting that barley soup/osh is popular throughout Iran, but only in this region is tahini added to it.

Ingredients

legumes + barley

¼ cup/50 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water with ½ teaspoon

Asia
Iran
Soup

Method

For the broth: Heat the oil in a large enameled cast-iron pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, leeks, salt, pepper, turmeric, and serrano pepper (if using), and sauté for 35 to 40 minutes until golden. Add the legumes and barley, and sauté for 1 minute.
Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1½ hours unt