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Ash reshteh
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4.84 from 60 votes

Ash Reshteh Recipe (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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Persian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 372kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 onions thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 tbsp dried mint
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 can chickpeas 15 oz
  • 1 can pinto beans 15 oz
  • 1 cup green lentils
  • 12 ounce spinach roughly chopped
  • 1 ¾ cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 cup cilantro chopped
  • 8 ounce reshteh you can find these noodle in Persian or Middle Eastern stores.

Topping:

  • 5 tablespoon olive oil divided
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoon dried mint
  • 1 cup kashk

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Sauté the onion until golden and soft. Add in the garlic and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add half of the dried mint, turmeric and salt and cook so they start releasing their aroma.
  • Add in the lentils, canned chickpeas and pinto beans followed by 8 cups of water. Turn the heat up to medium high, cover and bring the soup to a simmer.
  • Lower the heat to medium, add in the spinach, parsley and cilantro. Give it a good stir, cover and cook for 40 minutes.
  • After 40 minutes, break the reshteh in half and add it to the soup. Give it a good stir and cook for 15 more minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. While the reshteh is cooking, sauté some dried mint in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add it to the soup as well.

Topping:

  • Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and fry the sliced onion until golden brown. Add in the turmeric and fry for 3 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  • In the same pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the garlic until golden, transfer to a small plate.
  • Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same pan and sauté the dried mint for 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant.
  • Dilute the kashk by mixing it with ¼ cup lukewarm water.

Serve:

  • Pour the ash reshteh into a large bowl or serving bowls. Drizzle with some kashk and garnish with fried onion, fried garlic and fried dried mint. Bring some more kashk to the table for those who'd like to add more to their soup.

Video

Notes

  • You can use olive oil or any neutral flavored oil for this recipe. 
  • Find kashk (yogurt whey) in the refrigerated section of Persian and Middle Eastern shops. 
  • Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes. This soup thicken when refrigerated so mix it with ⅓ to ½ cup water while reheating. 
  • You can freeze ash reshteh for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat from frozen with some water. 
  • If reshteh is not available, use linguine. 

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 678mg | Potassium: 871mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7270IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 7mg