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Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 lb 450 g ground lamb or beef
  • 1½ tsp ground coriander
  • 1½ tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt plus more for seasoning
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 7 oz 200 g uncooked spaghetti, broken in half
  • 10 cups 2.4 ltr chicken broth or stock
  • 1 15 oz/425 g can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 large bunch chard or kale stems removed and roughly chopped (or a few handfuls baby spinach)
  • 475 ml plain Greek yoghurt

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Increase the heat to medium, add the ground lamb (or beef), and break it up with a spoon. Cook until browned; drain any excess fat.
  • Stir in the coriander, paprika, salt, pepper, tomato paste, and water. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes until the mixture is a deep reddish-brown.
  • Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the spaghetti and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the kidney beans and chopped greens to the broth. Continue cooking until the pasta is tender, about 5-7 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed.
  • To serve, ladle the hot broth and noodles into bowls, top each with two spoonfuls of the lamb, and finish with two spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt.

Notes

Using fresh homemade stock gives the best depth of flavour, but low-sodium store-bought broth works well too - just adjust salt at the end. Breaking the spaghetti helps it cook more evenly in the soup, and any sturdy leafy green can stand in for chard or kale. Aush blends Persian, Central Asian and South Asian culinary traditions. The yoghurt-mint topping is distinctly Persian, the noodle-lentil combination resembles Central Asian and Turkish soups, and the spiced meat and tomato sauce echoes elements of Indian curries. Aush reflects Afghanistan's multi-cultural culinary heritage.
Author: Traditional Afghan Recipe
Course: Main Dish, Soup
Cuisine: Afghan