You don’t need to travel to Iran to try a taste of Persian cuisine. This traditional soup is considered to be quite a speciality in Shiraz according to an Iranian kinswoman of mine and is quick and easy to make. The hint of the taste of smoky caramel from the fenugreek combined with the creaminess of the yoghurt and the crushed walnuts makes this a sumptuous soup which is ideal for lunch.
The soup, up to the point of where the yoghurt is added, can be prepared up to a day beforehand and stored in the fridge. To complete, just bring the watery mixture up to the boil and then continue the recipe from step 8. Serve it with pitta bread for an authentic Persian experience but croutons or western style bread rolls will work just as well.
Recipe for Traditional Iranian Soup with Fenugreek and Walnut
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 onion
- 1 oz shelled walnuts
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh or 1 tsp dried fenugreek
- 1 pint hot water
- ½ pint, natural yoghurt (a good quality, thick, Greek type is best)
- Freshly ground salt and black pepper to taste
Method:
- Peel the onion and chop it finely
- Finely chop the walnuts – the easiest way to do this is to pop them in a freezer bag, tie up the open end of the bag and then bash the nuts about with a rolling pin
- Melt the butter in a saucepan that is large enough to hold all the liquid and gently sauté the chopped onion in the butter until it is just beginning to brown
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and butter and gently cook, stirring well, for a minute or so
- Gently stir in the walnuts and fenugreek and slowly add the hot (but not boiling) water, stirring all the time, until it has blended well with the flour, onion, walnut, fenugreek and butter mix
- Cover and simmer for about a quarter of an hour, stirring occasionally
- Pour the yoghurt into a large bowl
- Remove the simmered soup from the heat and allow it to cool slightly so that it is no longer boiling then take a cupful of the warm liquid and add it to the yoghurt. Mix together by beating thoroughly
- Gradually add the yoghurt/water mix back, bit by bit, to the rest of the soup in the saucepan, stirring continuously
- Season with the salt and pepper to taste and then slowly warm the soup through again but do not allow it to boil and serve immediately
Elaine Findlay - An expert cook, Findlay's passion for food is evidenced by the size of her kitchen and her library of old recipe books
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