Persian herb, bean, and noodle soup recipe (ash reshteh)
This recipe weaves together an incredible tapestry of textures and tastes. Hearty beans and lentils simmer alongside earthy dried herbs, while noodles bring a comforting substance to every bowl. The finishing touch is a drizzle of kashk, a fermented whey that tastes similar to a sharp, salted goat cheese, and crispy fried onions.
Ingredients
Instructions
Sauté the aromatics: Heat half the sunflower oil in a heavy-based pan or Dutch oven with a lid. Add the chopped onion and fry gently over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the crushed garlic and fry for another two minutes until fragrant.
Simmer the beans and herbs: Stir the drained chickpeas, kidney beans, green lentils, turmeric, and all the dried herbs (dill, half the mint, coriander, and fenugreek) into the pot. Pour in the water and stir well. Place the lid on the pan and let the mixture simmer over low heat for 40 minutes, giving it an occasional stir.
Cook the noodles: Remove the lid and pour in the chicken or vegetable stock. Add the broken spaghetti to the pot. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
Fry the crispy onions: While the noodles cook, prepare your crispy onion topping. Toss the thinly sliced onion with the flour and sea salt until evenly coated. Heat the rest of the sunflower oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the coated onions for about six minutes until they turn crispy and golden brown. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Finish with fresh greens: Stir the chopped spinach, chives, lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper into the simmering soup. Leave the pot to simmer for a final 10 minutes to allow the fresh greens to wilt and the flavors to marry beautifully.
Garnish and serve: Ladle the hot soup into generous bowls. Top each serving with a large dollop of kashk or Greek yogurt, a handful of your crispy fried onions, and a delicate pinch of dried mint. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Cooking the soup from scratch in a pressure cooker
After draining the soaked chickpeas and beans, set your pressure cooker to its sauté function. Heat the sunflower oil, then add the finely chopped onion and sauté for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the soaked chickpeas, kidney beans, rinsed lentils, turmeric, all dried herbs, and 6 cups of water. Mix well, lock the lid, and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15–20 minutes. Open the cooker, check the beans for tenderness, and if the soup seems thick, add up to 1–2 additional cups of hot water to loosen. Switch to the sauté or simmer function.
Now add your broken noodles and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes until they’re tender, stirring occasionally. Follow the rest of the steps as usual: finish with the greens and seasonings, prepare your crispy onions for topping, and serve garnished with yogurt or kashk, fried onions, and dried mint. Adjust water at the end because dried beans absorb more liquid as the soup rests.
Notes
If you cannot find kashk, thick Greek yogurt provides a wonderfully tangy substitute. Double amount of yogurt than kashk.
You can find traditional Iranian "reshteh" noodles at Middle Eastern markets. They have a slightly saltier, starchier profile than Italian pasta that thickens the soup beautifully. For convenience, substitute reshteh noodles with spaghetti, broken into pieces.
If you can't find fenugreek leaves, omit them.
This soup tastes even better the next day as the herbs and beans have more time to mingle. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and gently reheat on the stove, adding a splash of water if the soup becomes too thick.
Variations
For vegetarian soup, use vegetable stock or broth. For a fully vegan soup, omit the kashk, or substitute it with an unsweetened, plain plant-based yogurt.
Cooking the soup from scratch in a pressure cooker
To make ash reshteh from scratch using soaked chickpeas and beans in a pressure cooker, begin by replacing the canned legumes with1/2 cup each of dried chickpeas and red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained. Due to the absorption and thickening from dried beans, you’ll need to use 6 cups of water (about 1–2 cups more than in the quick version) plus additional as needed to reach your desired soup consistency.
Source
Across Iran, you will find this vibrant, fragrant soup bubbling away in street stalls, cafes, and family kitchens, drawing hungry crowds especially during the colder months.
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