Aash has always been front and center in Persian cuisine. This is a Persian term used to describe a thick style of soup that often combines a variety of beans, grains, sometimes noodles, herbs, spices, and meat. This is Aash Reshteh, one of the most popular and well-loved members of the Aash family, which has nearly 50 varieties.
Important ingredients for this dish are heaping amounts of herbs and various beans, but the signature ingredients are Kashk and Reshteh. Kashk is liquid whey derived from yogurt, and Reshteh is a noodle that has an appearance that’s reminiscent of linguine but with a slightly different flavor profile.
Many Persian dishes have a correlation with certain celebrations or specific events. Aash Reshteh is often served around Persian New Year, weddings and funerals.
The noodles are highly symbolic and represent life’s journey and all the forms and shapes it takes. Therefore, eating this soup during the Nowruz holidays highlights how one anticipates the journey ahead while the noodles embody good fortune for the new year.
This Aash is vegetarian in nature, though it is also quite customary to garnish it with small amounts of a separate stew called Khoresh Gheymeh. When used for this purpose, the potatoes are eliminated from the Khoresh Gheymeh.
Aash Reshteh is a satisfying, hearty, and stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. Though it’s truly perfect for any season, I particularly enjoy it during the colder fall and winter months.
Strength!
Aash Reshteh
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric, ground
- 1/3 cup pinto beans, soaked overnight
- 1/3 cup red kidney beans, soaked overnight
- 1/3 cup garbanzo beans, soaked overnight
- 9 cups water or broth, adjust as necessary
- 1/2 cup lentils
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, adjust as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
- 2 bunches fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 bunches fresh cilantro, approximately 1 cup roughly chopped
- 1 bunch fresh dill, approximately 1 cup roughly chopped
- 2 bunches fresh spinach, approximately 1/2 cup roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup dried Tareh (Persian leeks), or 6 green onions, finely chopped
- 250 grams Reshteh (Persian noodles), or linguine, broken in half
- 1/4 cup Ab Ghooreh (unripe sour grape juice), or fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup Kashk (Persian whey sauce) or sour cream
Toppings
- 2 tablespoons Kashk mixed with 1 tablespoon water, or sour cream
Piaz Daagh (fried onion)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pinch salt
Seer Daagh (fried garlic)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Na'nah Daagh (fried mint)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dried mint
Instructions
- Saute the onions with olive oil in a large dutch oven for about 5 minutes over medium heat before adding turmeric. Saute for a couple more minutes before adding all the beans, except for the lentils.
- Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover, and cook for 1 hour.
- Add the lentils, salt and pepper, and continue to cook over low heat for another 30 minutes. By this stage all the beans should have been softened and fully cooked.
- Now add the herbs and Ab Ghooreh and continue to stir until everything is blended in the pot.
- Keep the flame on low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
- Now add the noodles and carefully attempt to stir the noodles into the soup. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the noodles are cooked.
- Stir a couple of times to make sure nothing is getting stuck on the bottom of the pan.
- Finally, add the Kashk and stir until it is fully integrated into the soup.
- Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Toppings
- While the Aash is cooking, prepare the toppings
Piaz Daagh (fried onion)
- In a large frying pan, saute the onions with olive oil for 15-20 minutes over low heat until they are golden in color. Add salt, stir and remove from the pan.
Seer Daagh (fried garlic)
- In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and begin sauteing the garlic over low flame for 1 minute or until golden brown. Take extra care not to burn the garlic. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Na'nah Daagh (fried mint)
- In the same saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the mint and saute on low heat for 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Assembly
- Serve the Aash in a soup bowl and decorate the Aash with Kashk, onions, garlic and mint.
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What lentils did you use? I see black eye peas, brown lentils,, whiole mung beans,
Hi Salina, I used the ordinary gray/green lentils for this dish, along with garbanzo, kidney and pinto beans.
Thanks. I used all three, then added split mung, brown, green, black eye, yellow. I never heard of gray lentils. It came out great. I varied it by adding 1 tsp. cumin seeds, followed by 1/2 tsp fenugreek, then added curry leaves and green chill. Instead of Kashk, I strained the yogurt for two hours and added that. The rest, I followed your directions. It came out amazing. Thanks 🙂