I always think of Ash-e-Reshteh as the accidental vegan Persian dish. “Ash” means a thick soup and “reshteh” means noodles. Ash-e-Reshteh is a thick noodle soup, filled with herbs and legumes.
It is often prepared during times of celebration. I remember my grandmother making Ash-e-Reshteh for Bahai gatherings or special occasions like Naw Ruz (Persian New Year). I could eat bowl after bowl, it was so delicious. It is now my kids’ favorite dish as well, and we don’t wait for special occasions. We make it all the time! 🙂 I enjoy it paired with our KooKoo Sabzi recipe.
Ash-e-Reshteh is as much about the soup itself as it is its garnishment. While it is traditionally garnished with a fried onion and garlic mixture (“Piaz Sir Dagh”) and whey, the whey can easily be skipped or substituted. We substitute with Kite Hill plain yogurt or even Kite Hill sour cream.
Note, Ash-e-Reshteh is a simple recipe, but it does require about 2 hours of cooking time on the stove for the flavors to meld.
Ash-e-Reshteh – Persian Noodle Soup
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 5 People 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A vegan Persian hearty herb and legume soup.
Ingredients
“Sabzi”
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 bunches green onion
- 1 bunch of spinach (or about 5 oz if bought in a bag)
“Piaz Sir Dagh”
- 1/4 yellow onion sliced thinly
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 Tbsp. dried mint leaves
- 2 tsp. cooking oil
Other Ingredients
- 1/4 yellow onion chopped finely
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 Tbsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp. turmeric
- 1/4 tsp. cumin
- 1 cup of green lentils (soaked in water 2 hours prior to cooking)
- 15 oz can black-eyed peas (drained and rinsed)
- 15 oz can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
- 15 oz can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 1/2 cup baby potatoes (potatoes cut in half)
- 1/2 package of spaghetti or linguini (I use Jovial gluten-free spaghetti)
- KiteHill plain yogurt or sour cream for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the Sabzi and dry. I use a salad spinner to dry the spinach. Finely chop the Sabzi. I remove any large, thick stems from the cilantro and parsley. Cut the ends from the green onions.
- Add Sabzi to a large pot. Add enough water to the pot to submerge the Sabzi. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Add 1/4 onion chopped and 4 garlic cloves minced, cover, and simmer on medium/low heat for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally).
- Add salt, pepper, turmeric, and cumin to the pot and stir.
- Add lentils and 1 cup of water. Stir, cover, and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Add canned beans and baby potatoes to the pot. Stir.
- Cover the pot and simmer another 20 minutes on medium heat (until the potatoes are cooked). Stir occasionally.
- Break the noodles in half and add to the pot. Add water as needed. Cover and simmer another 30 minutes on medium/low heat (stirring occasionally).
- Meanwhile, prepare the Piaz Sir Dagh garnish.
- In a medium pan on medium/low heat, add 2 tsp. of oil.
- Wait until the oil is hot, add sliced onion and sauté until golden (about 10 minutes).
- Add minced garlic cloves and sauté another 2 minutes until golden (as pictured above).
- Add dried mint leaves and turmeric. Sauté another 2 minutes.
Pour the Ash-e-Reshteh into a serving bowl. Garnish with a dollop of the KiteHill plain yogurt or sour cream and the Piaz Sir Dagh.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Iranian/Persian
Keywords: Vegan, Plant-Based, Persian, Iranian, Ash, vegetarian
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