Ingredients
- 2
Shallots finely diced
- 1 tbsp
Butter
- 450g
Barley
- 1 or 2 according to your tastes
Peeled and grated carrot
- 3 cups
Vegetable or chicken broth de poulet ou de légumes
- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon
Cumin
- 3 teaspoons
Salt & Pepper
-
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For the bechamel sauce:
- 2 tablespoons
soft butter
- 2 tablespoons
Flour
- 2 cups
Milk
- 2 tablespoons
Lemon juice
Optional - 2 tablespoons
Finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon
Zereshk (barberry)
Optional
Directions
Ash-e-Jo (or Ach-é djou) is an Iranian soup made from barley (and possibly other legumes), carrots, herbs and béchamel. This is a delicious, healthy and satisfying soup perfect for winter! Jo simply means “barley” in Persian.
The secret of the greediness of Ash-e-Jow is the addition of a bechamel sauce which gives it all its smoothness. Pearl barley naturally thickens when cooking soup. You can cook your pearl barley in advance, it keeps well in the fridge for several days and in the freezer for several months!
You can also use an industrial bechamel sauce to make this recipe, however I could not assure you of its quality!
Variations of the Ash-e-Jo Recipe
There are several recipes for this delicious barley cream soup.
To give more consistency to your Ash-e-Jow, you can add green lentils, kidney beans and basmati rice, in the same proportion as barley. You can also add baby spinach.
For carnivores, you can also add chicken to this soup!
If you’re not too fond of citrus, ash-e-jow can be served with or without lemon juice. Lemon juice can also be replaced with Limou Amani (Iranian dried lemons). Another variation of the recipe is to add tomato paste, personally I love it!
How to serve your homemade Ash-e-Jow ?
Sometimes I like to add some barberries (zereshk) when cooking Jow soup. Zereshk are the edible barberry berries sold in Middle Eastern markets and which you can also find in supermarkets. You can also serve your Ash-e-Jow with caramelized onions, it gives a very gourmet side to the soup.
You have all you need to make this delicious Ash-e-Jo!
If you liked this recipe, discover another delicious traditional Iranian soup: ash-e-Reshteh!
Enjoy your meal !
Steps
1 Done | Heat the butter in a pot or large saucepan. Add the diced shallots and sauté until translucent. Add cumin and turmeric. |
2 Done | Add the previously cooked barley and 3 cups of chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until thickened. |
3 Done | Add the grated carrot, an extra cup of chicken broth and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer another 20 minutes, until thickened; keep your Ashe-e-Jo on the stove over medium-low heat. |
4 Done | Preparation of the bechamel sauceHeat 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of flour. Stir for 2 minutes until the flour has a golden color. |
5 Done | Add a cup of milk and beat constantly with a whisk over medium heat until the bechamel sauce thickens. |
6 Done | Add another cup of milk, heat until mixture is hot but not boiling. |
7 Done | Adding bechamel sauce to your Ash-e-JoBring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat and add the hot bechamel sauce while stirring. |
8 Done | Reduce the heat to medium and cook the Ashe Jow uncovered for 10 minutes or until the soup thickens. Stir frequently. |
9 Done | Add the lemon juice and remove the soup from the heat. Finely chop some parsley and add it. |
10 Done | Enjoy your homemade Ash-e-Jow!There you go, your barley soup is ready! Do not hesitate to add barberry and accompany it with a good Lavash bread when serving. |
