Ash Reshteh Persian Noodle Soup Recipes

ASH-E RESHTEH (PERSIAN LEGUME SOUP)

Steps:

• Place the chickpeas and kidney beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; stir in red onion. Cook and stir until onion has turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; continue cooking and stirring until onion is tender and golden brown, about 40 minutes more. Stir in dried mint; cook until onions become dark brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Set aside for garnish.
• Heat remaining olive oil in a stock pot; stir in yellow onions. Cook and stir until onion has turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chickpeas, kidney beans, and turmeric; toss to combine. Stir in vegetable stock; simmer soup for 1 hour.
• Stir parsley, cilantro, mint, scallions, and lentils into soup; simmer 30 minutes more. Break linguine into 3 sections, stir into soup, and cook at a low boil until noodles are soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir 1/2 of the spinach to the soup until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining spinach and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir flour with 3 tablespoons of the soup liquid together in a small bowl until smooth. Stir flour mixture back into soup. Continue to simmer soup over low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Serve soup with yogurt and fried red onions.

ASH-E-RESHTEH (PERSIAN HERBS, VEGETABLES & NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Pick over, wash and soak the beans and chickpeas for about 2 hours. In a large pot cook for 40 minutes with 6 cups water. Add salt and pepper.
• Pick over and wash the lentils and add to the pot and cook for an extra 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Wash the herbs, drain the water and gently dry with a tea towel, chop finely and put aside.
• Chop and fry the onions in 1/4 cup of oil until golden. Put half aside for garnish. Add turmeric to the other half and stir-fry for a minute and add it to the soup pot.
• Add 9 cups of water to the pot. When it boils add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes.
• In a bowl, gradually add the flour to half a cup of water and blend well.
• Add this paste and the herbs to the pot and simmer for another 40 minutes.
• Mix the sour cream and buttermilk and add to the soup and stir. Cook for an extra 2 minutes.
• Empty the contents of the pot into a soup dish.
• Stir-fry the dried mint in 1/4 cup of oil for a minute and remove from heat.
• Garnish with fried mint, walnuts and the remaining fried onions.
• NOTE:.
• Dried herbs can be used if needed, 10g (3T) of dried herbs is approx equivelent of 100g fresh.
• Farah included buttermilk and sour cream for this recipe, but in Iran they use whey (Kashk) instead. They dissolve the kashk to make a thick liquid which they then add to the soup.