Sonia Tashjian’s Comfort Soup – NUNIK ABUR or SHELL SOUP

6 years ago

Years ago, I posted several recipes for soup called Noonoog (spelling varies). This soup is made with chickpeas,
mint, lemon, pasta – elbows or shell-shaped work well, and sometimes meat.

My version of Noonoog made with chicken broth, chick peas, mint, and elbow macaroni, etc.

NOTE: To make these Noonoog recipes Lenten friendly, do not use meat, and use water or vegetable broth instead of beef or chicken broth.

Sonia Tashjian’s Nunik Abour recipes

Sonia Tashjian recently sent me her ancestral recipe for
Nunik Abour, or Shell Soup, along with a bit of its history.

NUNIK ABUR or SHELL SOUP (from Musaler)

According to Sonia, the original name of this soup is TERYI SHURBU. It is
called this due to the homemade pasta. There are two versions of the soup: one
is with tomato paste & the second one is with paste + matsun (plain yogurt), which gives the
soup a very delicious, unique taste.

Sonia said, “In Musaler, in the days of our ancestors, pasta was prepared like this.”

Sonia’s Nunik Abour

Preparation:

1.- cook the shell pasta in salty water, add 1 – 2 garlic
gloves while cooking.

2.- add tomato – pepper paste, sour cream (or boiled
matsun), already cooked chickpea, butter or cooked meat (if desired); continue
to cook.

3.- season it with red & black pepper, mint.

4.- you can add lemon juice in the 1-st version (without
matsun).