Ash-e Reshteh

Serves 6

This Ash-e Reshteh recipe is very close to my heart. You cannot be Iranian, or have visited Iran without having tasted Ash-e Reshteh. It’s a thick soup that contains a lot of fresh herbs, beans, lentils, and noodles, served with 3 to 4 different toppings. This recipe is featured in my book "From a Persian Kitchen" and is also a main feature in my play "My English Persian Kitchen," which is going to be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Soho Theater in London. 

Ingredients

100g green lentils, rinsed

50g fresh coriander

50g fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

50g fresh dill leaves

40g fresh mint leaves

30g fresh chives

100g fresh spinach leaves

80g spring onions

3 tbsp olive oil

2 large red onions, finely chopped

5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1⁄2 tbsp ground turmeric

1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

60g chickpeas, soaked overnight, drained

60g pinto beans, soaked overnight, drained

2.25 litres vegetable stock

150g reshteh (Persian noodle) or udon noodle, broken into three equal pieces

Salt

150g kashk, plus extra for topping (or blend 150g sour cream with 150g feta cheese to a paste in a food processor)

For the toppings

3 white onions, cut the onions in half and then slice finely into half-moon shapes (try to slice them all the same size)

8 large garlic cloves, chop the garlic into small cubes or fine slices

3 tbsp dried mint

Vegetable and olive oil for frying

Method

Soak the lentils in a bowl of water and set aside.

Finely chop all the herbs, spinach and spring onions, ideally in a food processor, and set aside.

Add the oil and onions to a large heavy-based pan and fry on a medium heat for 12 minutes or until the onions are soft and golden brown. Add the garlic and stir for 3 minutes. Add the turmeric and pepper and stir for 30 seconds.

Add the drained chickpeas, pinto beans and stock to the onions and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to the lowest setting, put the lid on and simmer for 2 ¼ hours.

Drain the lentils and add to the pan along with the chopped herbs, spinach and spring onions. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to the lowest setting, put the lid on and simmer for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the toppings, fried onion, fried garlic, and the mint oil. 

To make the fried onion, first add 300– 400ml of vegetable oil, depending on the number of onions, to a medium saucepan (approximately 18cm in diameter) and place on a medium heat until piping hot. Add the onions in batches (if the recipe requires two onions, fry them in two or three batches), give them a good stir, and fry for 7–10 minutes or until almost golden brown, stirring occasionally; keep in mind that onions can burn quite quickly. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the oil and drain in a single layer on a tray lined with kitchen paper.

For the fried garlic, add a good glug of vegetable oil to a saucepan and place on a medium heat until piping hot. Add the garlic and stir frequently for a couple of minutes until the garlic is golden (take care not to burn as this will result in a bitter taste). Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic from the oil and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Note that if you make the crispy fried onion topping first, you can use the same oil to fry the garlic.

Lastly, to make the fried mint, take 3 tablespoons of dried mint and, in small batches, place on the palm of one hand then bring both hands together and rub the mint between your palms to finely grind it; the natural oils in your hand and the heat of your skin combine to bring out the scent of the mint. Set aside. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan and as soon as the oil is piping hot, add the dried mint before removing the pan from the heat to allow the mint to fry slowly in the oil.

Add the noodles to the soup and stir well to ensure that the noodles do not stick together. (If the ash is too thick, add a little boiling water.) Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, put the lid on and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Taste and add salt if needed.

Stir the kashk into the soup, then ladle it into a large serving bowl or individual bowls. Swirl some kashk on top (mix with a tablespoon of water if the kashk is too thick to swirl), followed by the fried mint (including the oil in which it was cooked), crispy fried onions and crispy fried garlic toppings.

Note

For a quicker version of this soup, use a 400g tin of chickpeas and a 400g tin of pinto beans (rinsed and drained), adding them to the ash with the noodles. Use 2 litres of vegetable stock instead of 2.25 litres. (You won’t need to simmer for 2 ¼ hours.)

Enjoy!

Atoosa xx