Mountain Kitchen
← Recipes

Ash Reshteh (Persian Bean, Herb, and Noodle Soup)

A thick Persian soup of beans, lentils, and a mountain of greens, topped with tangy kashk, crispy onions, and mint oil. This version uses much fewer noodles than usual.

Prep: 30 min Cook: 1 hr 30 min Total: 2 hr Serves: 8

Ingredients

Soup

  • 2 large (500g) onions, thinly sliced, divided
  • 5 Tbs (70g) olive oil, divided
  • 4 cloves (12g) garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp (2g) ground turmeric
  • 1/2 cup (100g) dried green or brown lentils, rinsed
  • 10 cups (2.4L) water or low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 can (15 oz / 240g drained) chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz / 240g drained) kidney beans, rinsed
  • 2 cups (60g) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 cups (60g) cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (30g) fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 1 bunch (100g) green onions, finely chopped
  • 10 oz (285g) fresh spinach, chopped
  • 3 oz (85g) reshteh noodles or linguine, broken in half (optional, see notes)
  • 1 1/2 tsp (9g) salt
  • 1/2 tsp (1g) black pepper

Toppings

  • 1/2 cup (120g) kashk, or plain Greek yogurt mixed with 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • 2 Tbs (4g) dried mint

Instructions

  1. Crispy onions: Heat 3 Tbs oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add half the sliced onions and fry for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown and crisp. Move them to a paper towel. Keep the oil in the skillet.
  2. Soup base: Heat 1 Tbs oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Cook the rest of the onions for 8 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and turmeric and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add the lentils and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
  4. Add the chickpeas, kidney beans, parsley, cilantro, dill, green onions, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add the spinach and noodles. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the soup is thick. Add water if it gets too thick to stir.
  6. Kashk: Thin the kashk with a few spoonfuls of hot water until it’s pourable. Stir about a quarter of it into the soup.
  7. Mint oil: Warm the oil left in the onion skillet with the last 1 Tbs oil. Take it off the heat, stir in the dried mint, and let it sizzle for 30 seconds. Don’t cook it longer or it turns bitter.
  8. Ladle into bowls and top each one with a swirl of kashk, crispy onions, and a drizzle of mint oil.

Notes

  • Why it’s diabetes-friendly: Ash reshteh is mostly beans, lentils, and greens, with a lot of fiber. The usual recipe uses a full package of noodles. This one uses about a third of that. Skip the noodles completely and each bowl drops to about 33g of carbs. It’s still a moderate-carb meal, so pair it with a protein, like a boiled egg or some leftover chicken stirred in.
  • Kashk: A tangy fermented whey product sold in jars at Persian and Middle Eastern groceries. Greek yogurt with lemon is a milder substitute.
  • Not gluten-free because of the noodles. Without the noodles it is.
  • Keeps 5 days in the fridge and freezes well. Store the toppings separately and add them after reheating.