Persian Herb, Bean, and Noodle Soup

Ash. (sounds like ush)

The mere word of it to Iranians conjures up memories that almost certainly invoke a big pot of soup and someones grandma or mom standing over it.

Ash Reshteh is the quintessential Persian soup and all other Iranian soups kneel before its feet.

Ash,  is a traditional soup that is of cultural significance to Persians. It is a soup that typically consists of various beans, fresh herbs, broth, and yogurt. Ash is a traditional dish to Iran and it has been very important to Persian cuisine and linguistics. You can find its importance by its usage as a root in various words like Kitchen or Cook (Ashpazkhoneh or Ashpaz). The reshteh part in the name of the dish comes from the noodles which are similar to hard fettuccine noodles.

Ash is a very common dish and is served to the lower classes and is served to people at large public gatherings where food is handed out. It is cheap to produce and nutritious.

There are a variety of Ash’s and depending on the occasion often times a particular ash is served.

My Mommon Joon would always make this for us in the winter time; she would dole out a gigantic bowl of this every weekend we would come over in the winter time. It’s super delicious and freezes perfectly. It’s also very nutritious and vegetarian friendly.

Basically this soup rules and if Americans could actually face the effort required to make this dish, it would probably be sweeping the nation right now.

So strap in and make this dish, you won’t regret it.

Ash Reshteh – Persian Herb, Bean, and Noodle Soup

Ingredients
Golchin Raw Noodle, half a bag
1/2 Cup of Red Kidney Beans
1/2 Cup of Chickpeas
1/2 Cup of Lentils
2 Cup of Chopped Parsley
2 Cup of Chopped Cilantro
1 Cup of Chopped Spinach
1 Tbsp. Sadaf 100% Natural Sabzi Aash -Dried Herbs Mix 2oz
1/2 Cup of Chives
5 Cloves of Garlic
1 Cup of Chopped Onions
3 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp. Butter
Water (lots and lots of water)

Method

Before you begin make sure you have a fairly large stockpot to make this soup in.

Pour all of your beans into your large pot and then pour about 10 cups of water over them. Allow the beans to cook almost fully before stepping to the next steps. Don’t ruin your Ash with undercooked beans. The heat should be at about a medium heat so they don’t burn, put the cover on the pot and let them cook, monitoring their progress, for about 2 hours.

Now once your beans are close to being done, in a separate pot saute your onions and garlic together with the butter. Once you’ve browned them, add all of your herbs and chives. Cook these at a medium heat for about 20 minutes and then transfer the cooked product to your beans.

Now add your chicken broth to the pot as well. Stir and monitor the soup for another hour or so making sure the bottom doesn’t burn. Once you’re ready to serve the soup (Taste it make sure the beans are fully cooked, if you’re not Iranian it’s going to take a little bit to know what good Ash tastes like) add your noodles. Once they’re cooked you can now serve the soup. You can add kashk (Dried whey) or yogurt to the soup once you’re ready to serve.

Enjoy!