Ash Reshteh- Persian Noodle Soup

We all need something to warm us up on these cold winter evenings. And I feel that soups and thick crunchy, crusty bread is perfect. The best part about this Ash Reshteh is that it is stuffed with so many lentils, pulses and vegetables, that this soup becomes so filling and has great flavour. Ash Reshteh is a Persian noodle soup and you can taste all those spices and herbs in it. I think next time I would add more lemon to the soup and a thicker garnish of sour cream in the end. 

Preparation Time 5 minutes 

Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes 

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients 

1 large onion- diced 

4 cloves garlic- minced 

1 1/2 teaspoons dried mint 

1/2 teaspoon turmeric 

1 cup/ 1 can drained boiled chickpeas 

1 cup/ 1 can drained boiled red kidney beans 

1 cup dried green/ black lentils 

1 bunch/ 60 grams parsley leaves- remove stalks and stems 

1 bunch/ 60 grams coriander leaves- remove stalks and stems 

340 grams spinach- use fresh or frozen 

4 green onions- sliced 

120 grams reshteh noodles/ spaghetti

1/2 cup thick greek yogurt/ labna/ sour cream 

4 cups vegetable broth 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1/2 lemon 

Salt and pepper- to taste 

Garnish

Crispy fried onions 

Sour cream/ yogurt/ labna 

Instructions 

1. In a large pot over a medium heat, sauté the onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once lightly browned, add the garlic, turmeric, dried mint and the remaining olive oil. Saute for 3-5 minutes until fragrant. 

2. Add the vegetable broth and 4 cups water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil over a medium heat. Allow it to cook, covered over a low heat for 30  minutes. If using dried chickpeas and red kidney beans, now is the time to add them. 

3. Add the fresh herbs and spinach,  then cook it on a low heat for 30-40 minutes until the leaves are wilted and cooked through. If you are using canned/ boiled chickpeas and red kidney beans, now is the time to add them. 

4. Break the noodles into thirds and add them to the soup. Cook the soup until the noodles are al-dente. If the soup is too thick, add a couple cups of water to thin it out slightly. 

5. Now temper the yogurt/ sour cream/ labna with some of the soup so it doesn’t curdle when you add it to the pot. Mix it in until smooth. Add the lemon and cook it on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until heated through. 

6. Garnish it with crispy fried onions, mint oil and some sour cream/ greek yogurt/ labna. 

7. Serve with thick crusty bread if desired. But you won’t need anything additional because the soup is so filling on its own.