By Chef Behzad Jamshidi
In this episode of Farhang Foundation’s #FarhangFlavor Chef Behzad Jamshidi of Moosh NYC shares his recipe for Iranian pistachio soup (Ash-e Pesteh), a unique dish tracing back hundreds of years
◊Pistachio Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
- 200g Pistachio Kernels, whole, raw
- 60g Shallot, sliced thin
- 80g Leek, white part only, sliced thin
- 20g Ginger, peeled, sliced thin
- 8g Yellow Cardamom, whole
- 14g White Cardamom, whole (if unavailable, replace with ½ the amount of Green Cardamom)
- 2g White Peppercorns, whole
- 80g Spinach Leaves (or other green herbs such as parsley, cilantro, mint)
- 1L Chicken Stock (or well-seasoned vegetable stock)
- 2 ml Rose Water
- 50ml Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt, to taste
Garnish Options:
- Golden Raisins
- Orange Slices For Squeezing
- A Dollop of Whole Yogurt or Crème Fraîche
- Fresh Picked Mint Leaves or Anise Hyssop
Steps:
- In a heavy base pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add sliced shallots, ginger, and a pinch of kosher salt. Sweat slowly to soften the vegetables for 5 minutes. The salt helps pull moisture from the vegetables to assure they don’t caramelize too quickly.
- Add yellow cardamom, white cardamom, & white peppercorns, and sweat for another 2 minutes until the spices become fragrant.
- Add pistachio kernels and sweat slowly for 3 more minutes until the kernels are bright green.
- Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once at a simmer, let the pistachio kernels soften for 8-10 minutes.
- Once kernels are softened, cut the heat under the pot. Set up a blender, and carefully using a ladle, add the contents of the pot into the blender with even amounts of broth, vegetables and pistachio kernels.
- Add spinach leaves to the blender, and process the ingredients on high for 2-4 minutes depending on your blender. Do this in small batches to assure you get the smoothest, most even result.
- Pass the blended pistachio soup through a sieve or fine strainer and discard any residual pulp that doesn’t pass through. Season with kosher salt to taste.
- Serve immediately topped with varied garnishes.
