Ash-E Anar (Persian Pomegranate Soup) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Broth:
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large sweet onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup yellow split peas
2 quarts chicken stock
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
2 1/4 teaspoons mild paprika
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1 cinnamon stick
Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup minced fresh mint
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon honey
Garnish:
2 cups pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, or more to taste

Preparation

Heat oil in a heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in split peas; cook until peas take on a bit of color, about 1 minute.
Pour chicken stock into the pot. Add pepper, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, fennel seeds, and cinnamon stick. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until peas are tender, about 20 minutes.
While soup is simmering, prepare meatballs. Mix lamb, minced onion, mint, parsley, and garlic together. Form into walnut-sized meatballs. Drop meatballs into the simmering soup. Cook until no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes.
Discard cinnamon stick from the soup. Add basmati rice, parsley, mint, pomegranate molasses, and honey. Cook until rice softens, about 20 minutes.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with pomegranate seeds and cream.