Ash-e-reshteh (persian Herbs, Vegetables & Noodle Soup)

Total Time: 3 hrs 47 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr 47 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 100 g chickpeas
• 100 g lentils
• 100 g navy beans or 100 g kidney beans
• 250 g flat wheat noodles
• 1/2 cup closely packed fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup closely packed fresh spinach, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup closely packed fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup closely packed fresh dill, finely chopped (tips)
• 1/2 cup closely packed fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
• 100 g walnuts (kernels)
• 1/4 cup crushed dried mint
• 1/2 tablespoon salt, to taste
• 4 medium onions
• 6 cups water
• 9 cups water
• 1/2 cup water

Recipe

• 1 pick over, wash and soak the beans and chickpeas for about 2 hours. in a large pot cook for 40 minutes with 6 cups water. add salt and pepper.
• 2 pick over and wash the lentils and add to the pot and cook for an extra 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 3 wash the herbs, drain the water and gently dry with a tea towel, chop finely and put aside.
• 4 chop and fry the onions in 1/4 cup of oil until golden. put half aside for garnish. add turmeric to the other half and stir-fry for a minute and add it to the soup pot.
• 5 add 9 cups of water to the pot. when it boils add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes.
• 6 in a bowl, gradually add the flour to half a cup of water and blend well.
• 7 add this paste and the herbs to the pot and simmer for another 40 minutes.
• 8 mix the sour cream and buttermilk and add to the soup and stir. cook for an extra 2 minutes.
• 9 empty the contents of the pot into a soup dish.
• 10 stir-fry the dried mint in 1/4 cup of oil for a minute and remove from heat.
• 11 garnish with fried mint, walnuts and the remaining fried onions.
• 12 note:.
• 13 dried herbs can be used if needed, 10g (3t) of dried herbs is approx equivelent of 100g fresh.
• 14 farah included buttermilk and sour cream for this recipe, but in iran they use whey (kashk) instead. they dissolve the kashk to make a thick liquid which they then add to the soup.