Persian New Year and Ash-e Reshteh

Celebrate spring and the Persian new year with this traditional Persian noodle soup with herbs, Ash-e Reshteh.

Unfortunately for my husband, I am not a soup eater. There are only a few soups I totally adore: Good New England Clam Chowder, Authentic Florida Conch Chowder and Ash-e Reshteh. And luckily for me, I will be eating plenty of Ash-e Reshteh this weekend!

Among the many traditions we have for Norouz, Persian New Year, we have the traditional meal, too. Just like Thanksgiving finds millions of American’s eating Turkey and the fixings, we Iranians eat our Herb Rice with Fish (Sabzi Pollo ba Mahi), Persian Noodle Soup (Ash-e Reshteh), and Kookoo-yeh Sabzi (an herb quiche). I’ve already shared my family’s recipe for the Sabzi Pollo, and our trail mix (ajeel) for Chahr-Chambe Souri. So, today is dedicated to my favorite Persian soup, Ash-e Reshteh.

Now Persian soups are not thin and runny or watery. They are thick, hearty soups full of delicious goodness. Maybe that’s why I like this soup so much? Reshteh is a Persian noodle. Most translations say it is a flat egg noodle, but my mother-in-law insists that Reshteh is not made with egg. Plus, the color is different from the egg noodles you find in the U.S. Instead of yellow, it is a light brown. The size is more like fettuccine, flat and long, so you can easily use that if you don’t have Reshteh. But, don’t tell my mother-in-law I said that!

Just like marinara sauce, it seems that no two Ash-e Reshteh recipes are alike. You use a combination of green herbs with a combination of beans. This recipe is the combination that I personally prefer, heavy on the spinach to make it more nutritious. We also eat it vegetarian-style, except we do use beef broth, but you can easily substitute it with vegetable broth. Packed with red kidney beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans and lentils, you have plenty of healthy protein and fiber to satisfy a big appetite. I also use green onions and parsley, but I’ve seen fresh dill used in this soup, as well.

I also like to use canned beans, since this helps speed up the cooking process. But, you can always use dried, just remember to soak the beans for several hours before cooking.

Garnishing your Ash-e Reshteh is an art form. Remember our kabob night? This particular picture shows my mother-in-law’s awesome handiwork and talent at garnishing meals. We used an onion-mint mixture, with sour cream (or kashk, liquid whey) with dabs of ground saffron dissolved in hot water. And yes, it tastes as good as it looks!

Me? I’m not so patient when it comes to decorating cakes or soups, I guess. But, hey. It’s still delicious!

Want to learn more about Norouz and the Persian New Year? I have put together an ebook that has all the history, traditions and recipes of Norouz, in a beautifully photographed ebook. And it’s only $1.99! Learn more here!

Persian Noodle Soup (Ash-e Reshteh)

Author:

Laura Bashar

For Persian New Year, Norouz, this traditional soup is always served. Noodles are believed to bring good fortune, and it is customary to serve Ash-e Reshteh or any noodles before embarking on something new. Recipe by Laura Bashar of Family Spice

Ingredients:

• 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp turmeric, dried
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
• 1 cup parsley, American, chopped
• 3/4 cup green onions, chopped
• 2 1/2 cup spinach, fresh, chopped
• 5 cup vegetable stock
• 6 cup water
• 1/2 cup lentils, dried
• 15 oz kidney beans, canned, drained of liquid
• 15 oz navy beans, canned, drained of liquid
• 15 oz garbanzo beans, canned, drained of liquid
• 4 oz linguini, dried
• 1 onion, sliced thinly
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp mint, dried
• 3/4 cup kashk, *
• 1/4 tsp ground saffron, dissolved in 1 TBS hot water

Directions:

1. Heat a large stock pot on medium and add:
• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2. When oil is hot, add:
• 2 onions , chopped
3. Season onions with:
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp turmeric, dried
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
4. When onions start to soften approximately 5-7 minutes, add:
• 1 cup parsley, American , chopped
• 3/4 cup green onions , chopped
• 2 1/2 cup spinach, fresh , chopped
5. Cook vegetable for 5 more minutes then add:
• 5 cup vegetable stock
• 6 cup water
• 1/2 cup lentils , dried
6. Bring to a boil, then cover pot and simmer for 40 minutes.
7. Add in:
• 15 oz kidney beans, canned , drained of liquid
• 15 oz navy beans, canned , drained of liquid
• 15 oz garbanzo beans, canned , drained of liquid
8. Stir in:
• 4 oz linguini , dried
9. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking to each other.
10. In the meantime, prepare the garnish by heating a small frying pan over medium-high heat.
11. Add to the hot pan:
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
12. Add to the hot oil:
• 1 onion , sliced thinly
13. Cook until onions start to brown and caramelize, reducing heat to medium to prevent burning. This can take about 15 minutes.
14. Stir in with the onions:
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
15. Cook for 2 minutes and remove pan from heat.
16. Stir in:
• 1 tsp mint, dried
17. Prior to serving soup, whisk 1/4 cup of soup broth with:
• 1/2 cup kashk , *
18. Stir mixture back into the soup pot.
19. Garnish soup with mint mixture and/or:
• 1/4 cup kashk , *
• 1/4 tsp ground saffron , dissolved in 1 TBS hot water

Notes:

Serving Suggestions: This is soup is traditionally made with a special egg noodle that resembles Italian linguine. As "reshteh" is only found in Middle-Eastern stores (pictured above), linguine is substituted in this recipe.

Cooking Tips: *1/2 cup of kashk can substituted with 1/2 cup of sour cream or 1/4 cup red wine vinegar. To reduce the amount of gas produced by canned beans, you can also soak the canned beans in water for 1-2 hours prior to cooking.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Yield: Serves 6

Cook Time: 1 hour 20 mins

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