Afghan Mashawa Bean and Noodle Soup

About This Recipe

Mashawa is a thick, satisfying Afghan soup that brings together several different legumes — typically kidney beans, chickpeas and mung beans — along with small pieces of noodle or dumpling dough, all simmered in a well-spiced tomato and onion broth until everything turns soft and the soup thickens considerably. It's substantial enough to serve as a full meal, especially valued during colder months or as nourishing food during illness or recovery. The combination of multiple legumes gives mashawa a varied texture unlike a single-bean soup, while ground coriander and dried mint season the broth with a flavor profile distinct from many other bean soups found elsewhere. A generous dollop of plain yogurt is stirred in or served on top at the end, its tang and creaminess balancing the earthy legumes and slightly tomato-forward broth beneath. Getting the beans properly soft — really soft, well past al dente — matters here, since mashawa is meant to have a thick, almost porridge-like consistency rather than staying brothy with distinct, separate beans. Finished with a scatter of fresh mint or cilantro, this soup is warming, filling, home-style Afghan cooking at its best.

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 0.5 cupdried kidney beans(soaked overnight)
• 0.5 cupdried chickpeas(soaked overnight)
• 0.5 cupmung beans(soaked 2 hours)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 cupcrushed tomatoes
• 1 tspground coriander
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 6 cupswater
• 1 cupsmall pasta shapes or broken noodles
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 1 cupplain yogurt
• 0.25 cupchopped fresh mint

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the beans

   Simmer soaked kidney beans, chickpeas and mung beans together in fresh water until nearly tender, about 45 minutes.

2. 2

   Build the broth

   In a separate pot, heat oil and cook onion until soft, then add garlic, tomatoes, coriander and turmeric. Simmer 8 minutes.

3. 3

   Combine

   Add the cooked beans with their liquid to the tomato base, along with additional water to reach a soup consistency. Simmer 15 minutes.

   Simmer the beans well past the point of just being tender — mashawa should have a soft, almost breaking-down texture, not distinct, separate beans.

4. 4

   Add the noodles

   Add small pasta shapes or broken noodles and salt. Cook 8 to 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and the soup has thickened.

5. 5

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls, top each with a dollop of plain yogurt and a scatter of fresh mint.

Variations

• •

  Use canned beans and chickpeas to significantly shorten the cooking time, adding them along with a cup of extra broth.

• •

  Add small meat or vegetable dumplings instead of noodles for a heartier version.

• •

  Stir in a spoonful of dried mint cooked briefly in butter as a finishing garnish, a traditional touch some cooks add.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days; the soup thickens considerably on standing, so loosen with extra water or broth when reheating gently on the stove.

Frequently Asked Questions