Ash reshteh

Name: Ash reshteh
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 8 bowls
Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients: 100 g Chickpeas, dried, soaked overnight; or 1 tin, drained; 100 g Kidney beans, dried, soaked overnight; or 1 tin, drained; 150 g Lentils, green or brown, rinsed; 200 g Linguine, or 200 g reshteh noodles, broken into 8 cm lengths; 150 g Parsley, finely chopped; 100 g Coriander, finely chopped; 100 g Spring onion, green parts, finely chopped; 30 g Dill, chopped; 300 g Spinach, roughly chopped; 3 large Onion, one chopped, two thinly sliced; 6 clove Garlic, thinly sliced; 1.5 tsp Turmeric; 200 g Kashk, liquid kashk, thinned with a little hot water; 2 tbsp Mint, dried; 120 ml Neutral oil; 2.5 l Water; 1 tbsp Salt; 1 tsp Black pepper

آش رشته

Thick Persian noodle soup of beans, lentils, herbs and spinach, topped with kashk, fried onion and mint oil.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: آش رشته.

Start cooking

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 2 hr
Rest: None
Total: 2 hr 40 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: No chilli
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Ash reshteh is a soup so thick a spoon nearly stands in it. Chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils cook with onion and turmeric, then a large amount of chopped parsley, coriander, spring onion and spinach goes in, and finally the reshteh, flat salted wheat noodles that thicken the broth with their starch. It is finished with kashk, a sour fermented whey, and three toppings: crisp fried onion, fried garlic, and dried mint sizzled in oil. Each bowl gets a swirl of all of them. It feeds a crowd for very little.

What you'll need

18 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 18 ready

8 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Chickpeas, dried, soaked overnight; or 1 tin, drained100 g
Kidney beans, dried, soaked overnight; or 1 tin, drained100 g
Lentils, green or brown, rinsed150 g
Linguine, or 200 g reshteh noodles, broken into 8 cm lengths200 g
Parsley, finely chopped150 g
Coriander, finely chopped100 g
Spring onion, green parts, finely chopped100 g
Dill, chopped30 g
Spinach, roughly chopped300 g
Onion, one chopped, two thinly sliced3 large
Garlic, thinly sliced6 clove
Turmeric7.4 ml
Kashk, liquid kashk, thinned with a little hot water200 g
Mint, dried30 ml
Neutral oil120 ml
Water2½ l
Salt15 ml
Black pepper4.9 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
In a large pot soften the chopped onion in 3 tablespoons of oil 10 minutes. Add turmeric, then soaked chickpeas and kidney beans and the water. Simmer 60 minutes until the beans are nearly tender. If using tinned, add them at step 3 instead and simmer the water with onion 15 minutes.
70 min
Step 2
Add the lentils and cook 25 minutes more.
25 min
Step 3
Add all the chopped herbs and spinach, salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring from the bottom. The soup will be green and thick.
20 min
Step 4
Add the noodles and cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until tender and the soup has thickened further. Stir in two thirds of the kashk. Loosen with hot water if it is too stiff to ladle.
12 min
Watch: The noodles stick to the bottom as they release starch. Stir, and keep the heat low.
Step 5
For the toppings, fry the sliced onions in the remaining oil until deep brown and crisp, 20 minutes; lift out. Fry the garlic in the same oil 1 minute until golden; lift out. Take the pan off the heat and stir the dried mint into the hot oil for 20 seconds.
25 min
Tip: Dried mint scorches instantly. Off the heat is the only safe way.
Step 6
Ladle into bowls. Top each with a spoon of kashk, fried onion, fried garlic and a drizzle of the mint oil.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 377 kcal
Protein: 14.4 g
Carbs: 43.8 g
Fat: 16.8 g
Saturated fat: 2.2 g
Fibre: 7.7 g
Sugar: 6.8 g
Sodium: 1633 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat
Milk

Vegetarian
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Kashk → Sour cream or thick yoghurt with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt
Not the same flavour, but it gives the tang and richness.
Linguine → Reshteh noodles
The real thing. They are salted, so hold back a teaspoon of salt.

Tips

This makes a big pot on purpose. It freezes well before the toppings go on.
Frozen chopped herbs for ash are sold at Iranian shops and are fine here.

History & culture

Ash is Iranian comfort food, sold from steaming pots on cold streets and cooked in large batches at home. Ash reshteh is specifically the dish for Nowruz eve and for Chaharshanbe Suri, and is often made as a nazri, a votive offering shared with neighbours. The noodles stand for the tangled threads of life.

Ash is one of the oldest words in the Persian kitchen; ashpaz, cook, literally means ash maker. Noodle soups are documented in medieval Persian cookbooks. Kashk as a finishing sauce comes from the pastoral tradition of preserving whey through the summer.

Traditional — Reshteh noodles are sold at Iranian grocers. Linguine broken into lengths is the standard substitute and is noted as such. Kashk is essential for the flavour; thick Greek yoghurt with lemon is only a pale echo.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Ash reshteh take?

2 hr 40 min all in — 40 min prep, 2 hr cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 8 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Nut-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Stockpot, Frying pan, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 1 tbsp.

What can I use instead?

Kashk → Sour cream or thick yoghurt with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Not the same flavour, but it gives the tang and richness. Linguine → Reshteh noodles. The real thing. They are salted, so hold back a teaspoon of salt.

What should I watch for?

The noodles stick to the bottom as they release starch. Stir, and keep the heat low.

Any tips from this recipe?

This makes a big pot on purpose. It freezes well before the toppings go on. Frozen chopped herbs for ash are sold at Iranian shops and are fine here.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.