In the Persian culture, Persian Noodle Soup (Ash Reshteh) is served on the thirteenth day of their New Year called Sizdeh Be Dar. This nurturing soup is also often served to those who are suffering from some sort of physical illness…quite possibly because there are over 14 cups of chopped greens in this soup!
The recipe contains a lot of legumes, onions, and garlic as well. Overall, this is a very nourishing soup, and as a result, supports the body in the healing process.
My husband was recovering from gall bladder surgery when we first experienced this soup. His colleague dropped by with a pot full of Ash Reshteh, and it was garnished with a whole bulb of garlic cloves, saffron yogurt, and mint oil. We had never tasted such a wonderful soup and we believe it did indeed help in his recovery process!
Healing and celebration properties aside, this soup is simply wonderful to have any time! It does contain a lot of ingredients and takes some time to make, but the quantities I give here will yield about 12 to 14 servings of soup. It freezes very well and is nice to have on hand for a quick lunch or dinner.
The traditional way to make Persian Noodle Soup is to use chickpeas, navy beans, and red kidney beans, but I’ve adjusted my recipe to include different legumes (to agree with my digestive system). You can use whatever combination of beans and legumes you like.
The ingredients you will need for the soup are written below, but you can make some substitutes. You can use canned beans instead of dried and you can use chard instead of spinach. You can also get frozen chopped spinach to save time. Persian grocery stores sell blends of frozen chopped greens for convenience. It can be hard to find fresh dill at times, so you can substitute 1/4 cup dried dill if necessary.
For the soup
- 1/3 cup dried adzuki beans
- 1/3 cup dried mung beans
- 1/2 cup dried split peas
- 1/3 cup dried brown lentils
- (or 1 ½ cups of assorted legumes)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp coriander
- 2 tsp cumin
- ¾ tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp salt
- ¾ tsp pepper
- 1 bouillon cube (or more to taste)
- 12 to 15 cups of water
- 6 oz Kamut or whole-grain spaghetti
- 1 cup leek, chopped
- 1 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 2 cups fresh parsley, chopped
- 10 cups fresh spinach or chard, chopped
Start by soaking the beans and split peas in cold water for at least two hours (adjust the soaking time if using different beans). Drain and rinse the beans when done. Slice the onions and saute in olive oil until soft. Add diced garlic, spices, salt and pepper and saute for another two to three minutes.
Add water, beans, split peas, and bouillon cube and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, chop all the greens and set aside.
After 45 minutes, add the lentils and simmer another 20 minutes. Then add the noodles (I break them up into smaller pieces) and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Then, add the chopped greens and more water if needed. It may seem as though the greens will flow over the top of the pot, but they will cook into the soup very nicely. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally for another 30 minutes or until the beans are done.
For the garnish
- 1 bulb of garlic, divided into cloves (cut cloves in half if needed)
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp saffron threads
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup yogurt
- 2 tbsp dried peppermint leaves
Saute the garlic cloves in 1 to 2 tbsps of olive oil until they are golden brown. Set aside.
Grind the saffron threads in the sugar until you have a fine consistency. Add the yogurt and blend together well. Set aside.
Warm 2 tbsps of olive oil in a small pan or in the microwave. Do not overheat…just warm up! Crush 2 tbsps dried peppermint into the oil and gently heat a little bit more. Serve the soup and garnish it with a drizzle of the saffron yogurt, peppermint oil, and add some sauteed garlic cloves. Enjoy, or as they say in Farsi… Nush-e-jan!
I can honestly say, this soup is so nurturing and will make you feel good whether you need it or not!
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