Afghan aush is a classic Afghan comfort dish: a slow-simmered one pot traditional noodle and bean soup. Aush is deeply flavourful, featuring a base of warmly seasoned ground beef, hand pulled noodles, chickpeas, kidney beans, dill, and a fragrant tomato-based broth. The soup is garnished with tangy yogurt, dried mint and chili flakes for a kick. This dish is for you if you want a flavour packed nourishing one-pot meal.

Cream bowl with handles filled with a red broth, noodles, beans and a drizzle of yogurt and dried mint with a bowl of yogurt with dried mint and a spoon, a small plate with chilli flakes on a brown marble background.

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My Introduction to Afghan Aush

I was introduced to Afghan aush by my Afghan best friend of 20+ years. One day, I asked her (Soreiya) to come over and help me make it, so I can document it accurately for you. She kindly accepted and walked me through the whole process, taste testing and approving it as we went along.

The result blew me away. This soup is extremely flavourful, and it will easily pass as a complete meal because it’s packed with beans, beef, and noodles.

Now there are a few things to note about this recipe:

  • Traditionally, the noodles are hand-pulled and made fresh. But Soreiya said most Afghans these days opt for store-bought spaghetti as an easy alternative, so that’s what this recipe calls for.
  • Soreiya recommends the use of lots of fresh finely chopped dill, whereas other recipes may call for dried dill. Fresh works extremely well, so I urge you to use it.
  • Finally – Soreiya never makes it all in one pot. She typically cooks the beef separately then adds it to the soup. But with my nagging, we tried it all in one pot. She approved! And so did her family.

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredient shot for Aush with a small blue plate with spices, a small white bowl with tomato paste, a glass bowl with broth, a white bowl with chopped onion, a small bowl with chopped garlic, a glass bowl with ground beef, a can of chickpea, a can of kidney beans, a white bowl with fresh dill, a beige bowl with broken spaghetti, a small white bowl with dried mint and a white bowl with yogurt on a beige marble background.
  • For the kidney beans and chickpeas: canned is perfect. It’s quicker and you don’t have to soak any beans overnight. But if you do want to use dry beans, you must soak them overnight, then boil them until tender before using them in this recipe.
  • I recommend using full fat yogurt; the fat helps ensure it doesn’t curdle.
  • Some people use dried dill, which means you’d need a smaller amount than the fresh dill. So feel free to substitute 3 teaspoons of dried dill, or more per preference.
  • Regular spaghetti for this soup works well, but you can easily substitute any long noodles (bucatini, linguine, etc.).

How to Make Aush, Step-by-Step

Start by placing a large soup pot on medium heat and softening the onions for 4 to 5 minutes. Then, add the ground beef and break it up into small pieces. Cook it for 6 to 7 minutes and add all of the spices.

Ground beef with chopped onions cooking in a cream coloured pot with a wooden spoon on a marble background.
Ground beef with chopped onions and spices cooking in a cream coloured pot with a wooden spoon on a marble background.

Once the beef is browned, add the tomato paste and mix it into the beef. Add 1 ladle of broth to the beef and cook it for 7 to 10 minutes until you can see the oil has separated.

Cooked and seasoned ground beef in a cream coloured pot with tomato paste and a wooden spoon.
Cooked and seasoned ground beef in a cream coloured pot with tomato paste and stock and a wooden spoon.

Once the oil separates, add the rest of the broth, the fresh dill, kidney beans and the chickpeas with its canned juices. Mix well then cover and simmer for 30 minutes on medium heat.

Ground beef cooking in stock in a cream coloured pot with a wooden spoon on a marble background.
A red coloured soup in a cream coloured pot with fresh dill on top and a wooden spoon on a marble background.

Prepare the yogurt by whisking it with the salt, garlic and water. Remove 3 tablespoons of yogurt to a smaller bowl and set the rest aside for garnish.

Temper the 3 tablespoons of yogurt by adding to it 2 tablespoons of the soup broth and whisking it vigorously. This will bring the yogurt up to temperature and ensure it doesn’t curdle when added to the soup. Add the tempered yogurt and mix it into the soup.

Finally, add the spaghetti which should be cut into thirds to avoid overly long strands when you serve the soup. Cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes just until the noodles are soft, but not soggy.

Aush soup in a cream coloured pot with a wooden spoon being held scooping it up on a marble background.
Aush soup with broken dried spaghetti noodles with a wooden spoon in a cream coloured pot with green handles.

Serving and Storage Suggestions

To serve Aush the authentic way, ladle the soup into a large serving bowl or you can ladle it into individual bowls. Add some yogurt in a circular pattern on the surface of the soup, then sprinkle it with dried mint and chili flakes if desired.

Store in an airtight container and in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing it due to the spaghetti – it would get very soggy in the freezer.

Cream bowl with handles filled with a red broth, noodles, beans and a drizzle of yogurt and dried mint with a small plate with chilli flakes on a brown marble background.

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If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!

Cream bowl with handles filled with a red broth, noodles, beans and a drizzle of yogurt and dried mint with a bowl of yogurt with dried mint and a spoon, a small plate with chilli flakes on a brown marble background.
5 from 12 ratings

Authentic Afghan Aush (Hearty Noodle Soup)

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
Aush is a comforting and hearty bean and noodle soup and is one of the best Afghan dishes. Heavily seasoned ground beef is combined with chickpeas, kidney beans, noodles and fresh dill in a rich tomato based broth. It's topped with yogurt and dried mint for a savoury and tangy flavour. Quite addictive!
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Ingredients
 

  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 453 grams lean ground beef, (1 lb)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, more per preference (depends on broth salt content)
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 10 cups chicken broth, (or dissolve 4 bouillon cubes in 10 cups hot water) *See Notes
  • 1 bunch fresh dill, washed, large stems removed and finely chopped
  • 540 ml canned red kidney beans, 1 can, drained and rinsed
  • 540 ml canned chickpeas, 1 can, with the liquids
  • 175 grams spaghetti, cut into 2-3 inch pieces

For the Yogurt:

  • 1 cup whole yogurt
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon water, to thin

For the Garnish:

  • 2 tablespoons dried mint
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes, or more per preference
  • the remaining yogurt

Instructions
 

  • Place a large soup pot on medium heat and add the olive oil. Heat for a few minutes, then add the diced onions and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until translucent. Add the ground beef and break it up using a wooden spoon as small as possible. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, then add all the spices (salt, pepper, coriander, garlic powder, paprika, and chili flakes). Cook until the meat has browned and the juices dry up.
  • Move the meat to one side of the pot and add the tomato paste. Stir into the bottom of the pot for a few seconds to cook it, then mix it into the rest of the meat. Add 1 ladle of broth to the meat and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until you can visibly see the oil separating.
  • Add the remaining chicken broth to the pot, along with the chopped fresh dill. Add the washed and rinsed kidney beans and the chickpeas with its liquid (aquafaba). Allow the soup to cook for 30 minutes, covered and on medium heat.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the yogurt by whisking it with the crushed garlic, salt and water to thin it out slightly. Remove 3 tablespoons of the yogurt to a smaller bowl, and set the remaining aside for garnish.
  • After 30 minutes, stir the soup. Use a spoon to remove 2 tablespoons of the soup broth and place it into the small yogurt bowl (with the 3 tablespoons of yogurt). Mix together to temper the yogurt (this will bring the yogurt up to temperature so it doesn't curdle when added to the soup). Once the yogurt and broth are mixed, pour it back into the pot and stir the soup to combine.
  • Add the spaghetti noodles to the soup and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes just until the noodles are soft.
  • To serve: ladle the soup into bowls, making sure to get a bit of everything. Place dollops of the yogurt on top, and sprinkle with dried mint and extra chili flakes if desired.

Notes

  • Traditional Afghan Aush uses a certain type of noodle, but spaghetti is an easy and common replacement.
  • Ensure you taste and adjust for salt levels, since the broth you will be using will have varying levels of salt.
  • Tempering the yogurt is an important step to avoid the yogurt curdling when added to the soup – do not skip it!
Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 477kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 60mg, Sodium: 2509mg, Potassium: 875mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 537IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 151mg, Iron: 6mg
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