Auntie’s Ash Reshteh (Noodle & Herb Soup)

I wanted to say ash reshteh is one of those nostalgic comfort foods for me, but honestly, most of the recipes I’ve named after people I love have that same quality. Either way, Auntie’s ash reshteh — cooked in her big pot — always brings back warm memories of Ramadan iftars and the long spread at my grandmother’s table, everyone gathered together, laughing over the meal as the sun went down.

After watching Like Water for Chocolate, I came to believe that food tastes like a dream when it’s made with love. I don’t know if that’s true of nostalgic family recipes too, but it’s certainly worth trying.

Auntie’s Ash Reshteh (Noodle & Herb Soup)

A big pot of Ash Reshteh that brings back memories of warm Ramadan iftars and long family dinners at my grandmother’s table.

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Ingredients

• 450 g each mixed beans (chickpeas, lentils, pinto beans, kidney beans, and long pink beans)
• 1.5 kg fresh herbs (chives, parsley, spinach) — about 1 kg if using with stems
• 4 medium onions, for fried onion
• turmeric
• fried mint
• 2 cups ground kashk (dried whey), approx.
• 400 g reshteh (Persian noodles)
• to taste salt (if the kashk isn’t salty enough)

Method

 

1. Soak all the beans the night before, then cook them the next morning.
2. Once the beans are well cooked, add the herbs and let everything simmer together for about 2 hours.
3. Stir in 2 kg of well-fried onions with turmeric, along with 3-4 tablespoons of fried mint, then add the noodles last. Keep the heat high and stir constantly so nothing sticks or breaks — about 15 minutes is enough, then turn off the heat so it doesn’t clump together.
4. Stir in the kashk, which should be well simmered in — keep stirring for 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Garnish the soup before serving.