Asure alla Canzu

Ingredients for 20 servings:

• 1 kg wheat
• 500 g chickpeas, dried
• 500 g beans, white dried
• 2 kg sugar
• 300 g apricot(s), dried and diced
• 500 g raisins
• 600 g almond(s), peeled
• 1 pomegranate
• 400 g walnuts

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Total time approx. 13 hours

Turkish sweet soup

The day before, cover the chickpeas, wheat kernels, and beans separately with water and soak overnight. Dice the apricots, pour boiling water over the almonds, then quickly peel them off, leaving them whole, and chop the walnuts. The next day, drain the wheat kernels and boil them in a large pot of water until tender; this takes about 3 hours. Soak the raisins. Drain the chickpeas and beans as well and boil them separately until tender. Remove the pomegranate seeds and place them in a bowl. Now put the wheat kernels in a large pot or divide them between two large pots, bring back to a boil with a good two liters of water, and add the chickpeas and beans one after the other. Pour on two more liters of boiling water, stirring frequently to keep the liquid moving. After about 30 minutes, add the apricots and raisins and cook for about 1 hour, remembering to stir. Then slowly add the sugar and let the soup thicken, stirring constantly to prevent any sticking to the bottom. When the aşura has thickened slightly, it’s ready. Serve it in serving bowls as desired. Top with pomegranate seeds, almonds, and chopped walnuts. The aşura can be eaten hot or cold, and of course, it’s also popular with friends and neighbors, as is traditional in Turkey.