Ash Reshteh (Persian Noodle Soup)

Ash reshteh is a popular Iranian soup that's simple, easy and very flavorful. This vegetarian Persian soup is made with herbs, legumes and caramelized onion, perfect for any day of the year.

Persian food offers so many delicious dishes that you can try. Some of our favorites are Persian eggplant soup, one pot tomato rice and, of course, kotlet (Persian meat patties). This delicious and classic Persian herb noodle soup called ash reshteh is an easy Persian soup that everyone loves and I cannot wait to share my authentic recipe with you. It's full of nutrients and amazing flavors. It's a family recipe that will find its way into your heart with just one spoonful of happiness!

Table Of Contents:

• What is Ash Reshteh?
• What's Goes Into Ash Reshteh?
• How To Make Ash Reshteh
• Serving suggestions
• Storage And Reheating
• Frequently asked questions
• More Persian Recipes
• Step-by-Step Recipe

What is Ash Reshteh?

Ash reshteh, also known as ashe reshteh, is a delicious Iranian thick soup that is served with kashk (yogurt whey) and piles of fried onion and a drizzle of mint oil. You can find it in restaurants in the US and, in Iran, it's sold at shops that sell different types of ash.

This dish is also one of our Nowruz recipes that's commonly cooked on the 13th day of the new year called Sizdeh Be Dar. It's best when it's shared with many others. Don't ask me why, it just feels right when ash reshteh is eaten with more than five people. Trust me, some foods are better when served to a large crowd. This noodle soup is usually served in a large bowl and everyone will take as much as they want.

What's Goes Into Ash Reshteh?

• Oil and butter: You can use olive oil or vegetable oil to make this dish. Some like to use ghee instead of butter and that works too.
• Onion and garlic: To start the soup you need onion and garlic. We will also fry some minced garlic to garnish the soup with.
• Dried mint: One of my favorite dried herbs. It's used in the soup and also as garnish.
• Spices: You only need salt and turmeric since there are so many other flavors in this soup.
• Legumes: This soup is so nutritious and uses a few types of legumes including chickpeas, pinto beans and lentils. Traditionally the chickpeas and beans are soaked in water overnight and then cooked with the rest of the ingredients. However, I opted for canned chickpeas and beans to save time.
• Herbs: This recipe calls for a combination of parsley, cilantro and spinach. You can also purchase ash reshteh mixture at your local Persian, Middle Eastern or Mediterranean shop as well as online.
• Reshteh: These are flat flour noodles and can be found either online or in Persian shops. If you don't have this kind of noodles, it's okay to use linguine or fettuccine.
• Flour: A flour and water slurry helps thickening the soup.
• Kashk: Also known as yogurt whey, kashk is a dairy product that has a sour and salty flavor and can be found in Persian or Middle Eastern shops or online. It usually comes in two forms of liquid and dried, both would work for this recipe.

How To Make Ash Reshteh

1. Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the onion until golden. Add in the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Season with dried mint, turmeric and salt and cook so they start releasing their aroma.
2. Add in the lentils, canned chickpeas and pinto beans followed by 8 cups of water. Turn the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Add in the chopped herbs and give it a good stir. Cover and cook for 40 minutes.
3. Break the reshteh in half and add it to the soup. Give it a good stir and cook for 15 more minutes.
4. While the reshteh is cooking, saute some dried mint in oil and add it to the soup as well. Make the slurry, add it to the ash reshteh and cook for another 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
5. Prepare the garnish by frying the onion, garlic and dried mint separately. I usually add some turmeric to the onion and garlic for some bright color.
6. Dilute the kashk in some water so you can pour it over the soup. Serve ash reshteh war m with all the toppings.

Serving suggestions

Ash reshteh is a complete meal on its own. It usually served family style in one large bowl and is garnished with fried onion, fried garlic, dried mint and of course, kashk. There is always some extra kashk at the table as well.

In my family, we like to serve ash reshteh with some sabzi khordan and barbari. Sometimes, we would also serve a light dish such as potato patties on the side.

Storage And Reheating

Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, place it in a saucepan over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This Persian noodle soup tends to thicken when refrigerated so add about ½ cup water when reheating.

You can also freeze ash reshteh using a freezer safe container. To serve, you can either thaw it fist or place the frozen soup in a pot with some water over medium heat and break it down while it cooks.

Frequently asked questions

More Persian Recipes

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Step-by-Step Recipe