Aash-e reshte hot, rich Iranian soup

Soup I love, always. So is the Iranian soup Aash-e reshte in – of course – Iran.

When you travel, sometimes the traffic and crowds of cities become too much. Then I really yearn for peace and greenery around me. Or just sitting somewhere relaxed. In Iran, fortunately, in cities you have many nice little parks where you can sit, but then you have to bring all your food and drink yourself. When we were in Isfahan , our hotel owner tipped us off to the Hotel Abassi. One of the oldest hotels in all of Iran – and, it seems, the entire world. The luxury hotel (with a number of stars) serves the famous aash-e reshte soup. A soup made from legumes and, in the original recipe, kashk, a type of fermented goat’s milk. When I was in Iran, I found it unpalatable, so no worries, it’s not in this recipe. The original soup is not vegan, so I modified it here and there to make it vegan, without losing the delicious taste! This is really a meal soup, don’t take it as an appetizer because you will already be completely full. Delicious with a fresh salad with it made from fresh spinach leaves, for example.

Ingredients aash-e reshte: Iranian soup

For 4 persons

  • 300 grams of red kidney beans
  • 150 grams of green lentils
  • 300 grams of chickpeas
  • 100 grams of spaghetti
  • 200 grams of fresh washed spinach (stalks removed)
  • 1 onion
  • 500 ml of water
  • 1 liter of vegetable broth
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • handful of fresh chives (you can also omit)
  • juice of a whole lemon
  • 1.5 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • 2 tbsp. dried dill
  • 1 tbsp. dried mint
  • 1 tsp dried coriander leaf
  • 1 tsp fenugreek
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp. sunflower oil

For the topping

  • 1 large onion in thin rings
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • half tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp. sunflower oil or coconut oil
  • 100 ml of soy yogurt
  • dried mint

Tip: I very practically just used organic beans, lentils and peas from a can or glass jar.

Preparation Iranian soup: aash-e reshte

This recipe is very easy but does take some time. Typical case of if you make it today it will be even tastier tomorrow.

  1. Grab a large pan (this can be a soup pan or a skillet) preferably with a thick bottom but not necessarily. Cut the onion into rings.
  2. In the pan, heat some sunflower oil and sauté the onion until it becomes soft and a little glassy. Then add the garlic and fry for a few more minutes. Make sure the garlic does not burn. So on not too high a heat.
  3. If, like me, you have the chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans from a can or jar, drain them first. Then rinse for a while. Then put them in the pan along with the spices. Immediately add the water. Cover the pan and let everything simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. If you find it becomes too thick, add some more water.
  4. After 30 minutes (may be earlier if you like, but at least after 20 minutes) add the broth along with the spaghetti. Let everything cook for about 10 minutes.
  5. In the 10 minutes you can make the topping just fine. Grab a container. Add the onion cut into rings, flour and salt. Mix it together. In a small skillet or saucepan, whatever you like, heat up some sunflower oil. Fry the onion over medium-high heat until crisp. It is best to drain them on a plate with kitchen paper after frying.
  6. Now look at your soup again. After the 10 minutes, add the spinach, lemon juice, soy sauce and olive oil. Mix well. And if you like, salt and pepper as well. Let simmer for a while longer. In between, taste if you like it and after no more than 10 minutes turn off the heat.
  7. Put the Iranian soup in bowls and pour some soy yogurt on top. Don’t need much hear! Garnish with the fried onion and dried mint.

More inspiration from Iran?

>Vegan mung beans qorma-e-maashe
> Travel blogs about Iran: Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd , as a woman in Iran

> Vegetarian restaurants in Tehran