Ash Reshteh

Ash is a category of thick soups in Iranian cuisine and ash reshteh is the most well-known, filled with all kinds of legumes, a mountain of greens, and reshteh, the thin, flat noodles that resemble linguine. Usually, we eat the soup on Charshanbe Suri, also known as the Festival of Fire. It falls on the eve of the Wednesday before Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. On that night, you’re supposed to have a bowl of ash reshteh and jump over multiple little fires to get rid of bad spirits. Yes, it works (thanks for asking). The soup gets garnished with a much-loved Iranian dairy product called kashk (think of it as funky sour cream), along with sizzled mint and crispy onions. Kashk can be assertive. It’s more sour and salty than yogurt or sour cream. If you find it, try it, please. But because it’s hard to find, I mimicked it with yogurt thinned with lemon juice. The sizzled mint has a toasty, earthy flavor and an emerald-green color. I normally never break my noodles, ever ever ever, but here you do. Iranians don’t have patience for long noodles like the Italians do.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

In a large pot over medium heat, warm 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add half the onions and all the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and becomes deeply browned in spots (a few charred spots are welcome), 10 to 12 minutes. Add the lentils, beans, chickpeas, and turmeric and cook, stirring, until the turmeric has coated everything, about 1 minute. Pour the water into the pot and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat to medium-low and let things happen at a gentle simmer, skimming off any foam that may rise to the top, until the beans and chickpeas are halfway cooked (they should still be very al dente), 30 to 40 minutes, but it may take longer depending on the age of your beans and whether or not you soaked them.

Step 2

Break the linguine in half and add to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy but still hold their shape and the noodles are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. The soup might look thick at this point, resembling a chili. You want this!

Step 3

Add the spinach, parsley, and dill to the pot and cook until just wilted and slightly darkened, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. The greens should have released some water and loosened things up but, if the soup looks so thick that it will be a workout to stir, thin it with more water.

Step 4

While the soup simmers, pour 3 tablespoons olive oil into a skillet and place it over medium heat. Add the remaining onions and cook, stirring often, until deeply golden brown and jammy, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the onions to a paper towel to drain the excess oil and then season with salt.

Step 5

Carefully wipe out the skillet, return it to medium heat, and add the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add the mint and cook, stirring often, until the mint oil is fragrant and slightly darkened, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl.

Step 6

When you’re ready to serve, mix the yogurt and lemon juice and season with a big pinch of salt. (It should have the consistency of heavy cream.) Add a spoonful of water to loosen more, if needed.

Step 7

Divide the soup among bowls and top each with some of the lemon-yogurt, a drizzle of mint oil, and a handful of jammy onions (in that order) to serve.