Persian recipes and ingredients for everyday kitchens.

recipe

Eshkeneh: Persian fenugreek, potato and egg-drop soup

A warm Iranian onion-and-potato soup finished with fully set ribbons of egg, using labeled dried fenugreek leaves rather than seeds.

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Ingredients and method

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small uniform half-inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for thickening (or rice flour as a documented alternative)
  • 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves, not fenugreek seeds
  • 4 US cups unsalted vegetable broth (chicken broth is another documented version, but makes the dish nonvegetarian)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to start, with more only after broth tasting
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 4 large refrigerated eggs, lightly beaten in a separate clean bowl
  • Plain flatbread for serving, optional
  • A little water if needed to keep the potatoes covered while simmering

Method

  1. Dice the onion and potato into consistent small pieces. Set out the dried fenugreek leaves; check the jar label because powdered fenugreek seed is not a direct substitute. Break four eggs into a separate clean bowl, beat lightly and keep refrigerated until the broth is ready.
  2. Warm the oil in a medium heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onion until softened and lightly golden, then stir in turmeric and pepper. Fold in the potato cubes and let them become coated in the seasoned oil without scorching.
  3. Sprinkle in the flour and dried fenugreek leaves. Stir for about one minute at moderate heat to distribute the flour, taking care not to darken or burn the herb.
  4. Stir in the broth gradually so no flour lumps remain. Add the starting salt and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until a fork passes through the center of the potato pieces, checking around 20–25 minutes. Stir occasionally along the bottom; add a little water if the soup reduces too far before the potatoes soften.
  5. Keep the broth at a steady simmer. Drizzle in the beaten eggs while stirring gently to form ribbons. Continue cooking until all egg is opaque and firm, and check that the egg-containing soup reaches at least 160°F (71°C).
  6. Taste and adjust salt or lemon cautiously, using a clean spoon. Serve hot with flatbread if desired. Cool leftovers promptly into shallow containers and refrigerate rather than leaving an egg-containing soup at room temperature.
Golden potato and fenugreek soup with cooked egg ribbons

Choose dried fenugreek leaves

Eshkeneh (اشکنه; also eshkaneh) is an Iranian egg-enriched onion soup with regional variations. Omid Roustaei specifies two tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves, potato, onion, broth and egg; his English recipe calls for one tablespoon flour and notes that too much of the herb can turn bitter. IranCook's Farsi fenugreek-and-potato version uses one tablespoon dried fenugreek, four tablespoons flour, three medium potatoes and water rather than stock.

This version uses Roustaei's lighter flour amount and broth. Buy dried fenugreek leaves, not ground seeds: the two products are not interchangeable.

Sources: [1] [2]

Beat the eggs rather than leaving a soft poached yolk

Roustaei gives a choice of whole poached eggs or drizzled beaten egg; the Farsi IranCook recipe beats eggs into the soup. This Culinara adaptation chooses drizzled ribbons and cooks them until set, rather than adopting the soft-yolk timing of one source.

A tablespoon of flour gives the broth a little body. Rice flour is an alternative noted by Roustaei, but it can change the texture; check broth and any bread labels before treating the meal as wheat-free.

Sources: [1] [2]

Eggs, flour and broth labels

FoodSafety.gov recommends 160°F (71°C) for egg dishes, which is why fully set ribbons are the goal. This vegetarian version uses vegetable broth; chicken broth would introduce poultry and require a different dietary label.

Contains eggs and, in the standard version, wheat flour. Choose vegetable broth for the vegetarian version and check its allergen label. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers at 40°F or below within two hours, or one hour above 90°F. Reheat to 165°F.

Sources: [3] [4]

Research sources

  1. Omid Roustaei — Eshkeneh Fenugreek Egg Drop Soup, The Caspian Chef (checked 2026-10-22)
  2. IranCook — طرز تهیه اشکنه (checked 2026-10-22)
  3. FoodSafety.gov — Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature (checked 2026-10-22)
  4. U.S. FDA — Safe Food Handling (checked 2026-10-22)