Ash Anar is a traditional Persian pomegranate soup with a distinct and memorable sweet and sour flavor. This comes from a key ingredient, pomegranate molasses, which is pomegranate juice rendered down and thickened until sweet and slightly tangy. The soup is made with rice, onions, fragrant herbs, and succulent meatballs.

Closeup of a bowl of brown stew with herbs, meatballs, rice, and pomegranate seeds.

In Farsi, the word “Ash” often refers to a hearty, thick soup typically made with a mix of grains and legumes. Another example is Ash Reshteh. Meanwhile, “Anar” translates to pomegranate.

🌟 Why You’ll Love Ash-e-Anar

  • Dish with a rich cultural history: The recipe is traditionally made with pomegranate juice and seeds, yellow split peas, mint leaves, spices like turmeric and cumin, and meatballs of beef or lamb. It’s often topped with pomegranate seeds for a burst of bright color and flavor.
  • Irresistible sweet and sour flavors: The sweet-tart tang of this soup is something you won’t forget any time soon! All the savory goodness of the rice, sauteed onions, and meat is matched with bright fresh herbs and that unique tangy pomegranate molasses.The sweet and sour combo is in many Persian dishes, like in Fesenjoon.

🧾 Ingredients in Persian Pomegranate Soup

Ingredients including beef, parsley, onion, and rice laid out on a flat marble surface with text labels.
  • Basmati rice: Always use long-grain basmati rice, and recommend this particular long grain basmati rice.
  • Ground beef or lamb: You can leave this out if you want to make the Ash-e-Anar vegan or vegetarian. If you do this, you won’t need the grated onion or ground meat ingredients.
  • Pomegranate molasses: This recipe tastes best with homemade pomegranate molasses which does not add ingredients like sugar or citric acid and tastes more like fresh pomegranate concentrate. You can also use pomegranate concentrate, but increase the amount in the recipe to 1 cup.
  • Angelica powder (golpar): ground angelica (golpar) is traditionally included and I’ve marked it as optional. I have tested the recipe both with and without it and it tastes close enough to leave out, but I would encourage you to include it. It does offer a slight medicinal kick that is pretty special.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳How to Make this Recipe

Before you begin, wash your rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Drain the water from the rice and set aside.

A large dutch oven with sauteed onions inside.
  • Heat the oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the sliced onions and cook until they turn translucent in color. Continue cooking the onions until they are golden brown rather than just lightly cooked. This can take up to 20 minutes.
Chopped cilantro in a bowl next to a bowl of green onions and more bunches of cilantro.
  • While the onion is caramelizing, continue mincing the herbs if you haven’t finished. Remember to stir the onions so they don’t burn. Thinly slice the scallions.
A large dutch oven with onions sauteed in broth inside.
  • Add the washed split peas and 6 cups of water to the onions, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the split peas are half-cooked, approximately 10 minutes.
A large dutch oven with warm broth and white rice inside.
  • Add in the washed rice and continue to simmer the soup.
A raw meat and herb mixture in a glass measuring cup.
  • In a medium bowl, mix about 1/3 of the herbs, the grated onion, ground beef, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
A hand holding a beef and herb meatball above a glass measuring cup of meat mixture.
  • Roll the mixture into equal-sized meatballs. You want them to be ping-pong-sized, not golf-ball-sized.

⭐️ Pro Addition ⭐️

This soup is often garnished with mint oil, which you can make by slowly heating up 1/4 cup of flavorless oil and adding 1/4 teaspoon of dried mint. Then let steep for 5-10 minutes before straining.

Lots of meat and herb balls in rows inside a dutch oven pot.
  • Once the rice is al dente, add the scallions and the remaining minced herbs, then drop in the meatballs. Bring back to boil, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
A glass measuring cup pouring a dark liquid into a pot of herbs and meatballs.
  • Add the pomegranate molasses and (optional) angelica golpar to the soup and mix until combined.
A brown stew with herbs, meatballs, and rice in a large dutch oven.
  • Serve your soup while fresh and hot.

🥗 What to Serve Alongside Ash Anar

Persian Pomegranate Soup is doubly delicous alongside fresh bread like noon barbari. If you want to add a light, vegetable side, a classic shirazi salad is a fantastic choice.

A brown stew with herbs, meatballs, and rice in a large dutch oven with a cut pomegranate beside it.

🥣 More Incredible Persian Soups & Stews

These soups and stews are flavored with a wonderful array of spices and herbs. I guarantee they will leave you feeling pleasantly satisfied!

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A brown stew with herbs, meatballs, and rice in a large dutch oven with a cut pomegranate beside it.
Author: Candice Walker

Ash Anar – Persian Pomegranate Soup

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A traditional Persian soup with a distinct and memorable sweet and sour flavor from pomegranate molasses and packed with herbs.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Persian
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher
Servings: 4
Calories: 878kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches cilantro washed, dried, and minced
  • 2 bunches parsley washed, dried, large stems removed and minced
  • 3 sprigs mint washed, dried, stems removed and minced
  • 1 bunch scallions or 1 leek, thinly sliced
  • 2 yellow onions one should be small, the other can be medium or large, with the large one thinly sliced in half moons, and small one grated
  • 6 cups water
  • ¼ cup yellow split peas washed
  • 1 cup basmati rice 200 grams
  • 1 lb. ground beef or lamb (optional for vegan/vegetarian option)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2-3/4 cup pomegranate molasses
  • 1 teaspoon ground angelica also known as golpar
  • 2 tablespoons flavorless oil like canola or vegetable
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • mint oil to serve, optional

Instructions

  • Wash the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Drain the water.
  • Heat the oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the sliced onions and cook them until they turn translucent in color. Continue cooking the onions until they start to get golden brown, rather than just lightly cooked. This can take up to 20 minutes.
  • While the onion is caramelizing, continue mincing the herbs if you haven't finished. Remember to stir the onions so they don't burn. Thinly slice the scallions.
  • Add the washed split peas and 6 cups of water to the onions, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the split peas are half-cooked, approximately 10 minutes.
  • Add the washed rice and continue to simmer.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together about 1/3 of the herbs, the grated onion, ground beef, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Once the rice is al dente, add in the scallions and the rest of the minced herbs, then drop in ping-pong sized (do not go as big as golf balls) meatballs. Bring back to boil, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Add in the pomegranate molasses and (optional) angelica golpar to the soup and mix. Serve hot.

Notes

The ground angelica (golpar) is optional and I have tested the recipe both with and without. Traditionally it is included in this recipe, but the difference is subtle. It does offer a slight medicinal kick that is pretty special.
If making the recipe without the meatballs to make it vegan or vegetarian, you do not need the grated onion or ground meat ingredients.
Nutrition has been calculated using anise instead of golpar.

Nutrition

Calories: 878kcal | Carbohydrates: 125g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 713mg | Potassium: 680mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 2765IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 5mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

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