Ash Reshteh – Persian Herb, Bean and Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Ash reshteh is a thick, comforting Persian soup packed with herbs, beans, lentils and noodles, served with tangy kashk, crispy fried onions and mint oil. It is traditionally made for Nowruz (Persian New Year) and on cold days.

Don’t worry about the long ingredient list – it’s mostly herbs and it all goes into one pot.

How to Make Ash Reshteh

1. Fry the onions. Fry the onions in the oil until deep golden. Set aside a third for the topping. Add the garlic and turmeric to the rest and cook for 1 minute.
2. Cook the beans. Add the soaked beans and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 50–60 minutes until the beans are almost tender (if using canned beans, simmer for 10 minutes). Add the lentils for the last 25 minutes.
3. Add the greens. Add the parsley, cilantro, dill, spinach and green onions and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the noodles. Add the noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and the soup is thick.
5. Make mint oil. Warm 2 tablespoons of oil, take off the heat and stir in the dried mint.
6. Serve. Stir a little kashk into the pot. Ladle into bowls and top with more kashk, the fried onions and mint oil.

👉 More Persian dishes: Kuku Sabzi – Persian Herb Frittata

Footnotes:

Kashk: find it in Middle Eastern shops. Sour cream or Greek yogurt thinned with water is a good substitute.

Make ahead: the soup thickens overnight; add water when reheating.