Simple Ash Reshteh

I first fell in love with ash reshteh at a Persian culture festival in Irvine that my Iranian neighbors brought me to. Not knowing the name, it took me over a decade to find it again, and I was happy to discover the soup is easy to make, healthy, and just as delicious as I remembered it.

I pulled this recipe from Bon Appetit. While not completely authentic, it’s close enough to satisfy my nostalgia on a weeknight. It’s missing the linguini-like reshteh noodles and substitutes kashk (a sun-dried fermented yogurt/whey) for a more easily accessible mixture of greek yogurt and buttermilk.

If you don’t have time to soak the beans and chickpeas the night before, pre-boil them separately for one hour. And don’t skimp on the charred onions at the end, they really make the dish!

Makes 4-6 servings.

Components

  • Charred Onions

  • Kashk Substitute

  • Mint Oil

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely grated

  • ½ cup cranberry or navy beans, soaked overnight or boiled for 1 hour, drained

  • ½ cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight or boiled for 1 hour, drained

  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • ½ cup green or brown lentils, rinsed

  • 5 ounces baby spinach (about 7 cups), chopped

  • 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves with tender stems

  • 1 cup chopped parsley

  • ½ cup chopped dill

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

Equipment

  • Heavy 4-6 quart pot

  • Medium skillet (anything but non-stick, you want to use some high heat)

  • Spice grinder or mortar and pestle

Directions

  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium. Add finely chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and soft, 6–8 minutes.

  • Add garlic, cranberry/navy beans, chickpeas, and turmeric and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

  • Add 8 cups cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are halfway cooked (they should still be very al dente), 25–35 minutes.

  • Add lentils and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are creamy but still hold their shape, and lentils are tender, 25–35 minutes (the soup may look a bit thick, but don’t fret; the greens will release liquid when they’re added, thinning the soup out a bit).

  • While the soup simmers, prepare the toppings (see component recipes below)

  • Add spinach, cilantro, parsley, and dill and cook until greens are just wilted and have slightly darkened, 4–6 minutes.

  • Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

  • Divide soup among bowls and pour a tablespoon or two of kashk Substitute over soup. Drizzle mint oil over soup, then top with charred onions.

↓ This is a component-based recipe (fancy talk for making the dish in pieces, then assembling). ↓

Charred Onions

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, very thinly sliced

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)

Steps

  • Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

  • Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, 6–8 minutes.

  • Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are slightly charred and crisp, 14–16 minutes; season with salt.

  • Transfer onions to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm.

Kashk Substitute

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup whole-milk Greek yogurt

  • ¼ cup buttermilk

  • Salt

Steps

  • Meanwhile, mix yogurt and buttermilk in a small bowl

  • Season with salt. (The mixture should have the consistency of heavy cream.)

Mint Oil

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)

  • 2 tablespoons dried mint

Steps

  • Use a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle to grind mint into a fine powder

  • Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in a small skillet over medium heat.

  • Add mint powder and cook, stirring often, until mint oil is fragrant and slightly darkened, about 1 minute.

  • Transfer to a small bowl or measuring cup.