Description
A traditional Persian comfort food, ash reshteh, is a symbol of good luck. Whether lucky or not, the dish is delicious and full of healthy ingredients to keep you nourished. Vegetarian. Gluten Free.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup dried red kidney beans, soaked, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup dried garbanzo beans, soaked, drained and rinsed
- 1 lb green lentils, soaked, drained and rinsed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 10 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground fresh
- 1 Tbsp Sea Salt
- 2 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 8–10 cups water or broth of choice
- 4–6 oz brown rice noodles, uncooked
- 3 stalks spring onions, chopped
- 1 cup fresh dill weed, chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lb frozen spinach, chopped
- 1 cup kashk or 1 cup yogurt + 1 tsp white vinegar + 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 lemons, juiced or 1/2 cup lemon juice
Optional Garnish:
- 1 Tbsp dried mint
- 1/2 Cup Kashk
- 1 onion or 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
For the Soup:
- Soak 1/3 cup kidney beans, 1/3 cup garbanzo beans, and 1 lb lentils overnight with 6-8 cups water and 1/2 Tbsp sea salt. Drain and Rinse.
- Heat a large dry pan for 2 minutes on medium heat. add 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 chopped onions, 10 chopped cloves garlic. Sauté until browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add beans and season. Add drained bean mixture, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 Tbsp ground cumin, and 2 tsp ground ginger. Sauté another 2 minutes.
- Add liquid. Add 8-10 cups water or broth (depending on the consistency you choose – you can always add more later so start with 8 cups and add from there). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour.
- Bean check. Taste the beans, if they are still firm, cook until tender.
- Add Noodles and Herbs. Add 4-6 oz uncooked brown rice noodles, 3 chopped spring onions, 1 cup chopped parsley, 1 cup chopped dill, 1 cup chopped cilantro, and 1 lb frozen spinach. Bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered an additional 20 minutes or until the noodles are cooked through. Check the liquid occasionally to see if you need to add.
- Add Kashk and Lemon Juice. Add 1 cup kashk (or 1 cup greek yogurt + 1 tsp white vinegar + 1/4 tsp sea salt) and juice from 2 lemons. Stir until combined. – Go slowly while adding the lemon and add to taste.
- Enjoy with the optional garnish
For the garnish:
- Heat a small dry skillet for about 1 minute on medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil and immediately add 1 thinly sliced onion. Fry until brown and crispy.
- Add 1 Tbsp dried mint and 1 tsp ground turmeric to the pot and sauté for one minute before removing from heat.
- Top the ash reshte with a dollop of khask and the fried onion-mint mixture.
- Mix and enjoy – Nushejan!
Notes
The khashk in the recipe can be found in most Middle Eastern Markets, but with the pandemic, you can find it on Amazon and this is the brand I like although it is pricey online. Alternatively, you can use Greek yogurt mixed with a teaspoon white vinegar and a pinch of sea salt.
Some people prefer the soup partially puréed. To do so, use a hand mixer before step 6 – before you add the noodles. Purée to your desired consistency.
Go slow when adding the lemon at the end and add enough to your taste – always adjust salt to taste as well.
Make it your own and tell me what you created in the notes 🙂 Nushejan – Enjoy!
Keywords: Persian, Ash Reshteh, Soup, Noodle soup, Bean Soup, Vegetarian, Chaharshande Suri
