A Hearty, Herby, Full-Of-Flavor Iranian Soup

Among ash, a beloved category of thick soups in Iranian cuisine, ash reshteh is the most famous. Packed with legumes, a mountain of greens and reshteh, thin, flat noodles similar to linguine, it’s a hearty dish traditionally eaten on Chaharshanbe Suri, the Festival of Fire that falls on the Wednesday before Nowruz, the Persian New Year. The soup is finished with sizzled mint, crispy onions and kashk, an Iranian dairy product akin to a funkier sour cream. Kashk has a bold, umami-rich salty-sour flavor that’s unlike anything else. It’s worth trying to buy at a Middle Eastern market, but since it can be hard to find, a mix of lemon juice and sour cream or Greek yogurt makes a great substitute.

Ash Reshteh (Greens, Beans and Noodle Soup)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 large onions, halved then thinly sliced

• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup brown lentils, rinsed

• 1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (see Tip)

• 1/2 cup dried cranberry or navy beans, soaked overnight and drained (see Tip)

• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric

• 8 ounces reshteh or linguine

• 2 bunches Swiss chard (about 10 ounces each), stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped

• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems (from about 3 bunches)

• 1 cup finely chopped dill (from about 2 bunches)

• 2 tablespoons dried ground mint

• 1/2 cup kashk (or 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt mixed with2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice;
(see Tip)

Directions:

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add a third of the onions and all the garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and well browned in most spots, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the lentils, chickpeas, cranberry beans and turmeric, and stir to coat everything, about 1 minute.

Pour in 12 cups of water, season generously with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer, skimming off any foam that rises to the top, until the beans and chickpeas are almost cooked through but still have a bite to them, 35 to 45 minutes. (This may take longer depending on the age of your beans and how long they were soaked.) If you’d like, you can prep your chard, parsley and dill while the beans simmer.

Add the reshteh (or the linguine, broken in half) to the pot, along with the Swiss chard, parsley and dill. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy, the noodles are tender and the greens have fully wilted, 20 to 25 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. The greens should have released some liquid, but if the soup is too thick to stir easily, thin it with water.

While the soup simmers, heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining onions and cook, stirring often, until deeply golden brown and frizzled, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain and season with salt.

Carefully wipe out the skillet, return it to medium heat, and add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Stir in the mint and cook until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Divide the soup among bowls and top each with some kashk, a drizzle of mint oil and a handful of the crispy onions.

Tips:

If you forgot to soak your beans and chickpeas overnight, just boil them in water for 10 minutes to cut down on the cooking time. Drain before adding them to the soup.

If you can’t purchase kashk, you can mix together sour cream or Greek yogurt with lemon juice and season with a big pinch of salt. It should have a slightly thicker consistency than heavy cream.

Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus overnight soaking, serves 6 (about 13 cups).

© 2025 The New York Times Company