Āsh-e Reshteh — Persian Bean, Lentil, and Noodle Soup

Middle Eastern Fast With Oil Published June 13, 2026

Āsh-e reshteh is the great green soup of Persia — thick with chickpeas, kidney beans, and lentils, threaded with wheat noodles, and gone almost emerald from sheer volume of herbs. It is the soup of Nowruz and of cold afternoons, ladled out by the bowlful because one is never enough. The noodles are said to symbolize the untangling of fate; for the cook, they mainly mean this bowl will hold you for hours.

What makes it sing is the finish: kashk is traditional, but on a fast you reach instead for caramelized onions cooked deep and dark, a slick of mint sizzled in oil, and a spoonful of fried garlic. It loses nothing. The sour, savory depth comes from the herbs and the long, slow cooking, not the dairy.

On oil days, build the soup as written. For strict no-oil days, simmer the onions in a splash of water until collapsed and sweet, bloom the dried mint directly in the broth, and skip the fried garnish — the legumes and herbs carry it. The reshteh noodles already make it substantial enough to skip oil entirely.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil (adaptable for strict days — see notes)
SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes (plus overnight soaking)

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup (100g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup (100g) dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup (100g) brown or green lentils
- 200g reshteh noodles (or linguine, broken into thirds)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (omit for strict days), divided
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 cups (60g) fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 cups (60g) fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup (30g) fresh dill, chopped
- 4 cups (120g) fresh spinach, chopped (or 2 cups chopped beet greens)
- 2 tablespoons dried mint
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon, to serve

METHOD

1. Drain the soaked chickpeas and kidney beans. Place in a large pot with 8 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 45 minutes until nearly tender.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat (or use a splash of water for strict days). Add the sliced onions and cook slowly, stirring often, for 20-25 minutes until deeply caramelized and dark golden. Set aside half for garnish.

3. Add half the caramelized onions, the garlic, and turmeric to the bean pot. Stir in the lentils and simmer for another 20 minutes.

4. Add the parsley, cilantro, dill, and spinach. Simmer for 15 minutes — the soup will turn dark green and thicken.

5. Stir in the reshteh noodles and cook for 10-12 minutes until tender. Season generously with salt and pepper. The soup should be very thick; add hot water if needed.

6. For the garnish: heat the remaining oil in a small pan, add the dried mint off the heat (it burns fast), and stir for 10 seconds until fragrant. For strict days, stir the dried mint directly into the soup instead.

7. Ladle into bowls, top with the reserved caramelized onions and a drizzle of mint oil, and finish with a squeeze of lemon.

NOTES

- Canned beans work in a pinch: use 1.5 cups each chickpeas and kidney beans, and start at step 3 with 6 cups water.
- For strict no-oil days, water-sauté the onions and bloom the mint in the broth; the soup is rich enough without garnish oil.
- Traditional āsh uses kashk (fermented whey) — skip it entirely on a fast. The lemon and caramelized onion provide the needed tang and depth.
- Add a handful of cooked navy beans for even more protein and body.