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In Iranian/Persian culture, noodles (reshteh) are symbolic of new beginnings in life. In the old times, it was believed that noodles could bring good fortune and make new endeavors successful. Traditionally,
one of the dishes served at Naw-Rúz (Persian New Year) is Reshteh Polo (noodle rice), and, the other noodle dish is Ásh’e Reshteh (literally, soup with noodles or translated, herb noodles soup) served at celebrations leading to Naw-Rúz.
Kadbanou brand frozen Sabzi Ash
Click → here to see video of how the herbs are prepared/packaged.
On another traditional occasion, ásh’e reshteh is served three days after loved ones have gone away on a trip or have moved away.
It is believed that by eating noodles they are sending-off good wishes and luck for their journey. Nowadays, it is served at the bon voyage parties (I like it better!).
Three years ago, I introduced a Persian herb soup, ásh. This ásh’e reshteh is an elaborate version, with more beans and in a starring role, noodles. It is twelve days to Naw-Rúz, and this recipe should come in handy for all upcoming celebrations.
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Ásh'e Reshteh • آش رشته • Herb Noodles Soup
Recipe by: Fae’s Twist & Tango (fae-magazine.com)
INGREDIENTS
To make from scratch, soak the beans a day before
• 90 g/ ½ cup dried garbanzo beans
• 72 g/ ½ cup dried kidney beans
Or, for a quick preparations, canned beans may be used… drained and rinsed before use.
Canned beans come in approximately net weight 440 g/16 oz per can.
For this recipe, 2 cans each of garbanzo and kidney beans will be needed.
(Recommended… if time allows, for better digestion, pinch the skin off each garbanzo bean, canned or soaked & cooked.)
Herbs
• 2 packages of 283 g/10 oz frozen Kadbanou Sabzi Ash (spinach, parsley, cilantro, chives, mint, garlic) or any brand frozen ásh herb mix
-Or- if using fresh:
• 5 cups parsley finely chopped
• 5 cups cilantro semi-finely chopped
• 2 cups garlic chives -or- scallions or leek finely chopped
• 2 cups spinach finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried mint flakes
Plus
• 18 g/ 6 Tbsp dried dill weed
• 40 g/ 1.5 oz fresh cilantro, additional
• 142 g/ 5 oz fresh baby spinach, additional
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 112 g/ 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 heaping Tbsp caramelized onion (may be used from ones made for garnish)
Seasonings for the soup
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 3½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper -or- more for spicier!
• 14+ cups ‘hot’ water, divided (broth or stock may be used)
Noodles and finish
• 227 g/ 8 oz Persian style enriched flour noodles
• whey/ liquid kashk (comes in 340 g/ 12 oz bottle)
• plain yogurt, if desired or to substitute for whey
For the garnish
• 680 g/ 2 large onions, sliced thinly in crescent
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 ~ 2 Tbsp dried mint flakes
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly slivered
DIRECTIONS
♦♦ If using frozen prepared herbs and canned beans:
First cook the lentils, see [2] below, and have them ready. In a large pot, add frozen herbs, dill, cilantro, spinach, crushed garlic, cooked lentils, caramelized onion, drained/rinsed beans, seasonings, noodles, 12 cups water and bring to boil. Lower the heat to medium (or tad lower) and cook for 30 minutes, stirring a few times. While the soup is cooking, prepare the garnish if desired.
Directions for making from scratch or semi-scratch…
◊ Day before (24 hours before): In a medium sized bowl, soak garbanzo and kidney beans with water almost to rim for 24 hours. Beans will reconstitute to almost 3 times! If possible, refresh the water one time.
◊ If using fresh herbs: Strip, wash and drain the herbs a day before or before starting to cook. On the day, food-processor may be used to chop the herbs and have them ready.
◊ On the day: Drain the beans and place them in a 5 QT (20 cups) pot. Add ample tap water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans with cold water. (Process of draining after first boil helps keep beans from causing digestion problem/gas for some.) Remove any loose skins seen. Also, skins are loose on the garbanzo beans, if time allows, pinch the skins off each garbanzo bean (Although the skins are good source of fiber, garbanzo beans are smoother to the bite without the skin.) .
◊ Rinse the pot and return the beans back to the pot. Add all the ‘seasoning’, 5 cups of ‘hot’ water and let it simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
◊ While beans are cooking… Prepare the garnish: In a large, deep fry-pan, add ½ cup oil and heat on between medium to medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and caramelize them to golden all over, stirring as often as possible for even finish. Drain in a large sieve with a bowl under. Place caramelized onion in a heat-proof small dish and set aside. Use from this oil to fry the garlic.
◊ [2] Also, while beans and onions are cooking: In a medium sauce pan, add lentils and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes (skim any foams to avoid overflow), drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
◊ For the garnish: In a small saucepan, on medium-high heat, add 1 Tbsp oil from frying the onions. Add slivered garlic and watch carefully. In several seconds, at first indication of color change (do not let it burn to bitterness), remove sauce pan from heat and quickly scoop garlic strips from oil into a heat safe small bowl. Garlic strips should be semi-crispy. While the oil is hot in the saucepan (off the heat) add dried mint, swirl the saucepan and let sizzle. Empty (with the oil) into a heat safe small bowl and set aside. (If it looks like it is still cooking in the bowl, place the bowl in shallow, cold water to drop the temperature and keep from burning.)
◊ After the beans have been cooking for 30 minutes, add frozen herbs (or freshly prepared), dill, additional fresh cilantro, crushed garlic, 1 heaping Tbsp caramelized onion, another 5 cups ‘hot’ water, stir and let simmer for 5 minutes.
◊ Add additional fresh spinach, break noodles in half and add sparingly, stir and simmer
for 30 minutes. Add parboiled lentils and 1 cup of ‘hot’ water, if needed, at the first 10 minutes point and stir. Add another 1 cup ‘hot’ water, if need, at the second 10 minutes point and stir. After 30 minutes, test if noodles are ready. If needed, add more ‘hot’ water. Adjust the seasoning if needed. Check the beans to see if cooked. Simmer until beans are tender.
◊ It may be served… A) as is with whey, yogurt and all garnishes on the side, B) garnished with dollops of whey or yogurt, and topped with garnishes, or C) ash’e reshteh mixed with 1 Tbsp of whey to 1 large ladle, decoratively garnished with caramelized onion, crispy garlic and fried mint. (See photos below.)
◊ Option: Not in the photos, but for big festivities, after ash’e reshteh is mixed with whey/kashk, the top is elaborately decorated/spooned with khoresh’e gheimeh /yellow split pea stew (without fried potatoes or eggplant), before being garnished with caramelized onions, crispy garlic and fried mint.
◊ If served as a main meal, kotlets with meat or vegetarian will go well as accompaniment.
~ Noushe jan! • نوش جان ~
Prepare all ingredients before assembling the soup…
A) Ash’e reshteh may be enjoyed as is without any garnish…
B) Ash’e reshteh may be garnished with dollops of whey or yogurt, and caramelized onion, crispy garlic and fried mint…
C) Most common and traditional way ash’e reshteh is served is, with kashk mixed-in and garnished on top with caramelized onion, crispy garlic and fried mint.
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So, what’s cooking in your kitchen?
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This is appetizing!I feel like i should have it right now.Gotta try this amazing recipe.
Very very neat! I’ve never seen noodles used in Iranian cuisine before! And the ingredients are so different from any other noodle dish I’ve ever had. I should give this a go 😀
Hi Elle, This noodle soup is the most favored soup of Persian cuisine. As you see, it is with abundance of herbs and legumes. Please do give it a go, and I know you will be delighted. 🙂
That looks like one delicious bowl of soup, Fae, and you took such care in its presentation. I enjoyed learning the importance of noodles in Persian life and when ásh’e reshteh is served today. Thanks, Fae, for an interesting post and wonderful recipe.
Hello John, As always, I value your visit very much. Thank you for leaving a kind and generous comments always. 🙂
This is more of a feast than a soup. As always beautifully presented.
Hello, Hello, Dear Maria, So good to see you here. Thank you. Yes, this thick soup is quite something. 😀 )))
Delicious looking soup, Fae. I loved reading about the meaning behind this and why it is served. I could eat noodles every day… I do believe I could easily make a meal of this.. no “starter” for me!
You are one smart lady, Nancy! I could eat noodles every day too. 😀
So yummie looking 🙂
Thank you, and because it is! 😀 )))
Lovely soup and I especially like all the different ingredients. I bet this was delicious Fae 🙂
Hi Judi, This soup is so popular that when it is served as a starter, many skip the main course to have more. 🙂
This is such a delicious soup. I would love to try it with some of my garden greens – what a great way to showcase them!
Hi Hilda, Wow, with fresh herbs from your garden… the soup would be priceless! 🙂
It sounds and looks so yummy!
Thank you, Merril. It is very hearty and satisfying too. 🙂
Fae, your dish looks delicious and more sophisticated than our Algerian Rachta (Rachta are steamed first like couscous and then they are served with white sauce, chicken, chick peas and flavored only with cinnamon). I’m so glad to see we have a lot of recipes in common (even prepared differently). Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Linda, I Googled rachta. How interesting. It has been applied to variety of dishes, and also saw photos of noodle soups similar to this one. I love noodle dishes, I should look into it more. Thank you! 🙂
This is such an usual soup for me but I love all the ingredients that go into it . It must be so tasty.
Hi Gerlinde, I’m so glad to hear that. Yes, it really is tasty. It will taste even better for the next 2 days too. :D)))
I love all the ingredients in this–it sounds like my kind of soup! 🙂
Hi Nancy, I know you’d love this soup. it really is satisfying, with very little calories. 🙂
I like the cultural background! Looks like a very hearty soup!
It is interesting, isn’t it, dear Chris. It is a very healthy and fulfilling soup. 🙂
Fae, I love you, LOL. I used to make this often but for some reason I completely forgot how to make it. I remember other Persian dishes but this one eluded me. Thank you for posting this beautiful soup I have copied the recipe into evernote so I now have it. May the new year bring you peace, love, success, good health and happiness.
I love you too, dear Suzanne! 😀 I am so glad to hear that you have experienced all varieties of Persian food and appreciate the cuisine. Now that specific frozen herbs are available at the Mediterranean/Persian markets, these dishes consume less time and are easier to make. Since you complimented me for the last recipe I wrote, I made this one also very easy to follow (I home 🙂 ).
I honestly believe this is shah e ash ha. It is healthy and satisfying and I would happily eat it any time of the year, especially for Nowruz. Another very good occasion is Sizda Bedar with a large stockpot full of your ash! May these ash noodles bring you happiness and many successful endeavors in he new year 🙂
– Yes! I loved ash’e sabzi for as long as I remember. Add some more beans and noodles, it is a piece of heaven for me. Ooo ash’e reshteh at sizdah’bedar sounds so wonderful!
– Thank you, Homa jan, for the good wishes for the New Year, and I wish you and yours the same. 🙂
I really like how you style and garnish your dishes. It all looks so appetizing. I’m always getting hungry when looking at your posts. Love it!
You are too generous with your words Sweet Vera. I don’t know if you have soups with lots of herbs in your cuisine. My mother knew that I love this kind of soups used to make them often, although it took her so much time to sprig the herbs, wash and chop. These frozen packaging was not available then.
This looks wonderful, I love the meaning of the noodles 🙂
Thank you, Elaine. It is so delicious, hearty and satisfying soup. 🙂