Ash Reshteh — Persian Noodle & Herb Soup

Ingredients

• ½ cup cooked chickpeas
• ½ cup cooked kidney beans
• ⅓ cup green lentils
• 4 cups Spinach, 2 cups parsley, and 1 cup cilantro, all chopped
• 4 oz reshteh noodles, or linguine broken in thirds
• 2 onions, sliced thin
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 5 cups water or stock
• 4 tbsp oil
• ½ cup kashk, or ½ cup thick yogurt whisked with 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried mint
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Fry the onions in the oil over medium with a pinch of salt until deeply browned and sweet, 20 minutes. Scoop out half for garnish, then fry the garlic in what's left for 1 minute and reserve some of that too.
2. Add the turmeric, lentils, and water to the pot and simmer 20 minutes until the lentils are nearly tender.
3. Add the Spinach, the chopped herbs, and the cooked beans. Simmer 15 minutes — the soup should turn dark and thicken noticeably.
4. Drop in the noodles and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring so they don't clump. The finished ash should be thick enough that a spoon leaves a track.
5. Bloom the dried mint in a spoonful of hot oil for 30 seconds until fragrant. Swirl kashk into each bowl and finish with the reserved onions, garlic, and mint oil.