Review of Sadaf's Ready-Made, Vegan, Persian Barley & Beans Soup | Ash-e Jo

As I was browsing through my local Persian (Iranian) grocery store, I saw this box of barley and beans soup and felt the impulse to buy it and give it a try. Sadaf’s Ash-e Jo looked like an incredible Persian soup recipe and it only needed me to add water!

I’ve been wanting to add more barley to my diet since this ancient grain has so many positive benefits. However, I’m not that good at making stews nor do I have the time and effort. This is why this soup mix is so awesome! I still get the high fiber, selenium (a powerful antioxidant), beta-glucans (lowers bad cholesterol), zinc, B vitamins, and iron, without any of the work. That, plus the fact there are a bunch of other beans, lentils, peas, and healthy spices all packed into this!

I love soup mixes like this because creating a soup like this usually takes a lot of effort, steps, and overnight soaking! This soup just required me to simmer it for 1 hour with the lid on.

How many does this Ash-e-jo barley and beans soup Serve?

This Ash-e-jo serves 3 if each serving is 1 cup.

What do I serve Ash-e Jo barley and bean soup with?

It is recommended to eat with sour cream (vegan), pita, fried onions, and some crushed mint leaves. Eating one cup with all that, plus my usual additions of olives and hummus, this is a very satisfying meal!

The ingredient list for the Ash-e Jo (barley and beans soup) is very small, mostly all recognizable words, and it has no artificial preservatives or food coloring!

How much does this persian barley soup cost and where can I buy it?

This soup mix cost just over $6 here in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
It seems like random Persian or Arabic grocery stores might carry it (as the one near me did). However you can find it online on sadaf.com.

Ingredients (according their website):

• barley

• navy beans

• red kidney beans

• green lentil

• green

• yellow split peas

• onions

• wheat starch

• vegetable oils

• rice

• macaroni

• leek

• parsley

• spinach

• cilantro

• mint

• salt

• cornstarch

• sugar

• dextrose

• partially hydrogenated soybean oil

• spices

• disodium inosinate

• disodium guanylate

• turmeric

• garlic

• pepper

Overall review Sadaf's Ready-Made Barley & Beans Soup | Ash-e Jo (4/5):

1. Super tasty! I was pleasantly surprised by how herbal and light it tasted and yet how hardy the ingredients were.

2. It was not at all overly salty! A big bonus since most prepared soups tend to lean on the overly salty side. I was impressed with how far down the ingredient list ‘salt’ was listed. That said, there is still a good amount of salt in this soup, so be mindful of that.

3. It took a moment for me to get used to the barely texture, just because I never have it. However the texture is nice after you get used to it.

4. I would recommend eating this with the recommended sides between 2 hungry adults as a mid-week break from your usual vegetarian or vegan meal prep.

5. I would buy this Persian soup again to have on hand for those nights where I’m feeling too lazy to cook anything, and bored of my meal prepped food. It is very tasty, satisfying, healthy, and easy to cook up.

6. 4/5!