Aush

(Noodle soup with yogurt, chickpeas, kidney beans, and minced beef)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

Soup

  • 2-3 C keema (see page X)

  • 2 L chicken or beef broth (bouillon cubes fine if time is of the essence, preferably Knorr)

  • 2 C chickpeas (prepared and drained) [Note: If using canned chickpeas, 1.5 X 400g / 14oz canned chickpeas, drained].

  • 2 C red kidney beans (prepared and drained) [Note: If using canned beans, 1.5 X 400g / 14oz canned red kidney beans, drained].

  • 2 C yogurt + 1 C sour cream (or 3 C yogurt if not using sour cream)

  • 300 g dried pasta (preferably spaghetti or tagliatelle, snapped in half) (fresh also fine, but make sure to account for additional mass)

  • 2-3 T dill (dry)

  • ¼ - ½ C mint (dry)

  • Salt

  • Red pepper flakes (optional)

Pulse Preparation - Chickpeas and Kidney Beans (Dry) 

[Note: If using canned pulses, drain liquid from chickpeas and kidney beans, set aside, and skip to keema (meat) and soup assembly preparation sections below. If using Instant Pot, skip to #5 (below)]

  1. Place dried chickpeas and 1 tsp. baking soda in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover by 2". Cover and let sit at room temperature until chickpeas have doubled in size, 8–12 hours. Drain and rinse.

  2. Place kidney beans in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover by 3". Cover and let sit at room temperature until kidney beans have doubled in size, 8–12 hours. Drain and rinse. [Note: If using Instant Pot / pressure cooker skip to #5] 

  3. Combine soaked chickpeas and remaining 1 tsp. baking soda in a pot and add
    cold water to cover by at least 3" and 1 T salt. Bring to a boil, skimming surface as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until chickpeas are just tender, ~45 minutes. 

  4. Drain chickpeas, retaining 2-3 C of chickpea water. Set both chickpeas and chickpea water aside.

  5. Please kidney beans in a pot and add cold water to cover by at least 3" and 1 T salt. Bring to a boil, skimming surface as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until kidney beans are just tender, ~45 minutes. 

  6. Drain kidney beans and set aside.

Instant Pot Preparation: 

  1. Chickpeas: Rinse dried chickpeas. Place in Instant Pot and add water to cover by 2 inches / 4 cm. 

  2. Add 1 T baking soda and 1 T salt to water.

  3. Cover Instant Pot and set to pressure cook (high pressure setting) for 40m.

  4. Once pressure cook cycle finished (40m pressure cook elapsed) let sit for 1m in keep warm mode (Should show L00:01), then press cancel and release pressure. 

  5. Open and remove lid once pressure released and set aside or insert lid lip into slots on side of pot so lid resting vertically on side of Instant Pot (I do this to conserve counter space).

  6. Drain chickpeas, retaining 2-3 C of chickpea water. Set both chickpeas and chickpea water aside.

  7. Kidney Beans: Rinse dried kidney beans. Place in Instant Pot and add water to cover by 2 inches / 4 cm. 

  8. Add 1 T salt to water.

  9. Cover Instant Pot and set to pressure cook (high pressure setting) for 40m.

  10. Once pressure cook cycle finished (i.e.40m pressure cook elapsed) let sit for 1m in keep warm mode (Should show L00:01), then press cancel and release pressure. 

  11. Open and remove lid once pressure released and set aside or insert lid lip into slots on side of pot so lid resting vertically on side of Instant Pot (I do this to conserve counter space).

  12. Drain kidney beans and set aside.

Keema (Afghan mince)*

  • See keema recipe (page X) [Note: You should omit ginger and peas from this preparation as they do not go with Aushak]

Preparation:

Soup Assembly

  1. When keema and pulses are ready, mix yogurt and sour cream (if using sour cream) and leave out to reach room temperature.

  2. Bring broth (and if available 2-3 C of chickpea boiling water) to a boil in a sufficiently large pot. Once boiling turn down heat to medium.

  3. Add 1-2 T dill, ¼-½ C mint to broth and salt and pepper to taste, stir well. Broth should have a sufficiently strong mint and dill flavor. 

  4. Add pulses (chickpeas and beans) to broth and allow to boil for 5-10m.

  5. Take off soup from heat and decant 2 C of soup liquid to separate bowl so starts to become tepid-hot.

  6. Boil pasta in a separate pot of salted water. When pasta very al dente, drain, set aside in bowl, and pour ½ C tepid-hot soup over pasta so remains moist, warm, and separated.

  7. Stir 1.5 C of tepid-hot soup into room temperature yogurt and sour cream (to avoid curdling). Once sufficiently mixed add entire yogurt and sour cream mixture to soup and stir in slowly (again to avoid curdling) so that soup attains a whitish color and consistency. Taste soup for seasoning. Can add additional salt and pepper if needed, but avoid over seasoning. 

  8. Add 2 C keema to soup, stir in, and bring to a slow boil for 5m.

  9. Decant soup into a large serving bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of dill. 

  10.  Place small handfuls of pasta in individual soup bowls, ladle soup on top of pasta in bowls, and top with 1-2 dollops of keema. 

  11. Additional warm keema and pasta should be available in separate dishes for guests to add to their soup bowls depending on desired composition and consistency

  12. Enjoy!