This is how I came up with this recipe: One chilly day (which we have had quite a few this winter!) I was craving “Aash” (traditional thick, potage like soup in Persian cuisine) and since I can’t have beans and legumes (due to digestive issues), which is the main ingredient of many traditional recipes, I though of making “Aash” with herbs and rice and adding some meat for protein! When I told my hubby, he said they have a very similar dish in his hometown (Isfahan) called “Gheyme-Shoorba”! So, this is how I ended up making this and we both really liked the results! I think the original recipe doesn’t have savoy and some of the other spices in the meatball and the spinach (I’m actually planning to add kale and/or chard to the Aash in the future as well) and doesn’t use bone broth as the base! So, let’s call this modified “gheyme-shoorba”! My hubby likes to have his bowl of Aash with some thick yogourt added and mixed in the soup, I like mine with lots of lemon or lime juice!

Ingredients

For the meatball
2 Pounds Ground Lamb
1/2 Tsp Dried Savory
1/4 cup finely chopped Parsley
1 Tsp. Ginger Powder
1 Tsp. Coriander Seed
1/2 Tsp. Cumin
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 TsP. Tumeric
1/2 Tsp. Salt
Black pepper

For the potage
1 Cup White Basmati Rice
1 large Bunch Parsley (finely chopped)
1 large Bunch Coriander (finely chopped)
1 large Bunch Dill (finely chopped)
1 Bunch Scallion (finely chopped – I use the green parts only)
1-2 Cups Finely Chopped Spinach
1 Tsp. Dried Sour-grape powder (Ghooreh)
1 Tsp. Ginger Powder
1 Tsp. Coriander Seed
1/2 Tsp. Cumin (optional – I’ve found people can have a love/hate relationship with cumin!)
1 Tsp. Tumeric
7 Cups Filtered Water
3 Cups Homemade Bone Broth
Salt and Pepper
Juice of half or one lemon (adjust to your taste)

Method

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Then add to a large pot with the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer the rice for about 30-45 mins or until the rice is tender.

2. In the meantime, combine all the meatball ingredients and make small meatballs.

3. Once the rice is tender and starts to thicken a bit add the bone broth and bring to a gentle simmer.

4. Add the meatballs slowly to the simmering broth to avoid clumping together. Gently stir and then add the chopped herbs, sour grape powder, spices and salt and pepper. Stir to combine, reduce the heat to low, partialy cover the pot and cook for 1-1 1/2 hours or until the potage is thickened to your liking.

5. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Serves 6-10.  (depends on whether you serve it as appetizer or main dish!)