I know, the title for this one is a mouthful. I never know what to call dishes like this though. And also, there are so many good things in here — I feel like I have to mention each one! Like, what if someone who loves basmati rice or caramelized onions were to skip by the recipe not realizing what was in there? I couldn’t handle that. There is in fact even more deliciousness than I managed to include in the name. Like the pomegranate molasses that gets drizzled on top. Or the spices that go into this. Or the specific fresh herbs — lots of cilantro, parsley, scallions and mint in case you were wondering. I actually made this one months ago when the weather was just ready to warm up, which is why I held off on posting it until now. It’s loosely based on a Persian dish called ash, and once I heard about it I had to make it, warm weather or not. The original involves meatballs and at the time I was bombarding this site with meatball recipes, which I plan to resume shortly, but back then I needed a break. I went with caramelized onions instead of meatballs. Authentic? No. But they do have their place in Middle Eastern cuisine, and they go great on top of soup. In this particular soup the savory sweetness of the onions is perfect against the earthy flavors of the soup. If you prefer to go the vegan meatball route, I can’t say I blame you, because meatballs. Better yet, meatballs and caramelized onions? I’m definitely trying that at some point during the season. I think the meatballs from my Italian wedding soup would go nicely in here — maybe swap out the basil for some of the herbs in this soup.
