Persian Mung Bean Soup, or Ash-e Mash, is a complete one-pot meal that's both nourishing and satisfying. Fresh herbs add vibrant aroma and flavor, while rice creates a smooth, comforting consistency. Pumpkin adds a touch of sweetness and color, turning every spoonful into a cozy surprise.
Why You'll Love This Soup
- Tasty: Way more delicious than any other mung bean soup I've tried - rich, balanced, and deeply satisfying.
- Nourishing: Packed with mung beans, rice, pumpkin, and herbs - it's hearty yet wholesome and full of plant-based goodness.
- Comforting and Flavorful: Aromatic with a mix of herbs, spices, and that irresistible fried onion-mint topping. Then drizzled with lemon juice, kashk, sour cream, or vinegar for tangy depth.
- One-Pot & Meal-Prep Friendly: Minimal prep, no special equipment, and easy cleanup. Plus, it tastes even better the next day - perfect for make-ahead meals.
About Ash-e Mash
Persian cuisine is famous for its thick, filling soups known as ash, which are almost stew-like in texture. Along with popular versions such as Ash Reshteh (noodle soup) and Ash-e Jo (barley soup), this Ash-e Mash (mung bean soup) is a flavorful and nutrient-rich staple in Persian home cooking.
Mung beans are protein-packed legumes that cook easily and digest well. I prefer using whole mung beans for their fiber and full nutritional value, though split mung beans (moong dal) cook faster and taste just as delicious.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Mung Beans: Whole mung beans are available online, in major supermarkets, and in Middle Eastern or Indian grocery stores. Choose beans that are vibrant green, uniform in size, and free from discoloration or shriveling. Dull or unevenly colored beans often indicate older stock that may not soften well.
- Rice: Use a starchy short-grain or medium-grain rice for a creamy texture.
- Arborio: Italian short-grain rice, perfect for creaminess.
- Sushi Rice or Calrose: Excellent for soft, smooth consistency.
- Glutinous (Sweet) Rice: Can be mixed with another rice variety for extra silkiness.
- Pumpkin or Squash: Choose firm, sweet varieties like sugar pumpkin, kabocha, or butternut squash. Avoid watery carving pumpkins as they lack flavor. Peel, seed, and dice into small cubes for even cooking.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs - cilantro, parsley, green onions, and dill - add freshness and complexity. If using dried herbs, use about one-fourth the amount and soak them in warm water for 20 minutes before adding. Chives, thyme, or tarragon can be added for variation.
- Dried Mint: Traditionally used in the fried onion garnish for Persian soups.
- Garlic: Grated garlic blends more smoothly than chopped and prevents harsh bites in the topping.
- Stock or Broth: Use vegetable, meat, or chicken stock for depth of flavor. You can also try bouillon cubes or nutritional yeast for the umami flavor.
- Kashk, Sour Cream, or Vinegar: Kashk is a fermented yogurt product with a tangy, salty, cheese-like flavor - adds a depth of flavor like parmesan cheese topping does to Italian dishes.
- Traditional: Liquid or powdered kashk, found in Persian or Middle Eastern stores.
- Homemade Substitute: Blend yogurt or sour cream with feta and Parmesan.
- Alternatives: Sour cream, crème fraîche, lemon juice, or vinegar.
Step-by-Step Visual Overview
A quick visual guide - the full printable recipe is at the end of this post.
- Sauté the onions until golden brown. This builds your flavor base.
- Add garlic and dried mint. Cook until fragrant and toasty (don't let the mint burn).
- Add mung beans, rice, and stock. Simmer until the beans are tender.
- Add pumpkin and herbs. Cook until soft and thick. The soup should be hearty and porridge-like.
- Blend slightly (optional) for a smoother, creamier texture. Thicken with corn starch.
- Finish with lemon juice and kashk, adjust seasoning, then garnish with fried onions-mint mixture.
Top Tips
- Thickening: For a creamy, porridge-like consistency, blend part of the soup or add a touch of cornstarch or flour. Using starchy rice also helps thicken naturally.
- Fried Onions: Slice onions very thinly and caramelize patiently for rich flavor. A mandolin slicer helps.
- Mint Timing: Always add dried mint off the heat to prevent bitterness.
How to Serve Mung Bean Soup
- Ladle the hot soup into a tureen or individual bowls. Top with kashk or sour cream and the fried onion-mint mixture.
- Serve extra toppings on the side: kashk or sour cream, fried onions, mint oil, lemon wedges, and vinegar.
- Enjoy with flatbread (lavash or barbari) and a side of mast-o-khiar (yogurt with cucumber).
- Pair with doogh (Persian yogurt drink) for a classic combination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use small beans of similar size such as adzuki beans (red mung beans), green or brown lentils, black gram (urad beans), Puy lentils (French lentils), or small navy beans.
This usually happens when beans are old, the water is hard, or they weren't soaked. Use fresh beans and pre-soak them overnight for the best texture.
Adding dairy to boiling soup can cause it to curdle. Always remove the pot from heat and let it cool slightly before stirring in kashk or sour cream.
Bring water to a boil, add the mung beans, and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let soak for 1 hour. Drain, then cook in fresh water until tender.
Note: Depending on the batch, you may skip soaking altogether - some fresh mung beans cook quickly without it.
More Persian Soup Recipes
- Cream of Barley Soup (Soup Jo)
- Beef Barley Soup (Persian Style)
- Abgoosht (Meat and Potato Soup)
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
Ash-e Mash (Persian Mung Bean Soup)
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil extra if needed
- 2 large onions yellow or Vidalia, thinly sliced (3-4 cups)
- 6 cloves garlic grated
- 2 tablespoons dried mint
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 cup dried mung beans preferably soaked, then drained
- 12-15 cups vegetable stock or meat stock, low sodium (or water with bouillon, as needed)
- ½ cup rice risotto rice (Arborio) or starchy short-grain
- 2 cups diced pumpkin or winter squash
- 1½ cups chopped fresh cilantro or ⅓ cup dried
- 1½ cups chopped fresh parsley or ⅓ cup dried
- 1 cup chopped green onions or ¼ cup dried
- ½ cup chopped fresh dill or 2 tablespoons dried
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or all-purpose flour (optional, for thickening)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice adjust to taste
- 1 cup kashk sour cream, or crème fraîche (or ¼ cup vinegar)
Equipment
- Dutch Oven Large 5-6 qt
- Blender or Food Processor
Instructions
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced onions and sauté until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Add grated garlic during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Tip: Use a mandolin slicer for thin, even onion slices.
- Onion Topping: Turn off heat and stir in dried mint. Do not let it burn. Set aside one-third of the fried onion mixture (with some oil) for garnish. Return pot to medium heat, add turmeric and black pepper, and stir.
- Add Beans and Rice: Add mung beans, rice, stock (or water), salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, skimming off foam as it forms. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes or until beans are soft. Tip: For firmer rice texture, add rice later with vegetables.
- Add Rice and Vegetables: Add diced pumpkin, cilantro, parsley, green onions, and dill. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice and vegetables are tender. Adjust the consistency with more stock or water as needed - the soup should be hearty and thick, similar to porridge.
- Blend and Thicken (Optional): For a smoother texture, remove a portion of the soup and blend it, then return to the pot. To thicken, mix cornstarch with a small portion of soup until smooth, then stir it back in.
- Finish the Soup: Add the lemon juice and adjust the salt, pepper, and thickness to taste. Stir in one-third of the onion-mint mixture, reserving the rest for garnish. If you prefer a creamier texture, stir in some kashk or sour cream as well.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and top each with dollops of kashk (or sour cream) and the fried onion-mint garnish. Serve with extra lemon wedges, vinegar, or kashk on the side.
Notes
- Using Dried Herbs: Use one-fourth the volume of fresh; soak in water for 20 minutes and drain before using.
- Fried Onions: You can fry the onions as done for Koshari. Fried shallots are available at Asian grocery stores, and most supermarkets carry canned or packaged fried onions.
- Slow Cooker: Combine all ingredients from turmeric through cornstarch in the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours, until the mung beans and rice are tender. Prepare the fried onions separately and complete Step 5 as directed.
- Variation: Substitute pumpkin with fried eggplant slices for a different twist.
- Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze (without kashk) for longer storage. Tastes even better the next day as flavors meld. Reheat and top with garnish just before serving.
- Make Ahead: Chop and freeze herbs; prepare fried onions in advance.
- Nutrition: Based on homemade kashk; adjust salt based on other ingredients.
- Dietary variations and nutrition insight below.
Nutrition
Dietary Variations
This mung bean soup is vegetarian, gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free.
- Vegan: Use vegetable stock and skip kashk or sour cream. Add vinegar, lemon juice, or vegan sour cream instead.
- Dairy-Free: Omit kashk or sour cream; use lemon juice or vinegar.
- Higher-Protein: Replace rice with quinoa or buckwheat groats, add chickpeas, seeds (hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), use protein-rich stock,
- Gluten-Free: Naturally gluten-free - just confirm your stock or bouillon is certified GF.
Nutrition Insight
This hearty one-pot Persian soup is nutrient-dense, high in protein, and easy to digest. Its high fiber and complex carbs support better blood sugar balance and digestive health - a wholesome, balanced comfort food.
The combination of mung beans, rice, and vegetables forms a complete plant-based protein with all essential amino acids. Mung beans are rich in fiber, B vitamins, and minerals, while pumpkin and herbs add vitamins A and C, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory benefits.
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