Persian Noodle Soup (Aush Reshteh)
After a long, cold winter, a highlight of the month of March is the first day of Spring, this year falling on Thursday, March 20. On that very same day, millions of people throughout the world will also be celebrating Nowruz, the beginning of the Persian New Year. Open-air food and gift markets, festive dancing, and other community events that bring everyone together will be held to mark the holiday.
One traditional food eaten during Nowruz, which translates to “a new day,” is Aush Reshteh, a soup that has spring written all over it. Swimming in a sea of assorted green herbs, with beans/legumes, spinach, noodles, dried herbs, spices and aromatics, the rich broth-based soup symbolizes health and vitality. High protein, nutrient-rich, and anti-inflammatory, Aush Reshteh is the perfect dish to enjoy when winter ends and spring begins.
For authenticity, use at least five different fresh herbs, including parsley, cilantro, dill, chives and mint. Beans/legume must-haves are chickpeas, lentils, and another bean of your choosing – I'm adding fava beans. Some recipes call for onions, while others call for shallots, so I’ve used both. You can swap out the spinach with another leafy green, and the traditional noodles, also called reshteh, are replaced nicely with some whole wheat spaghetti or linguine unless you’re nearby a Middle Eastern market that carries the real deal. And because we’re plant-based, the ingredient called kashk, which is a fermented dairy product, is easily replaced with non-dairy unsweetened plain yogurt or plant-based sour cream.
This very special, time-honored, and symbolic recipe is very likely different from any bean, noodle or veggie soup you’ve ever eaten, which is just another reason to give it a try.
Persian Noodle Soup (Aush Reshteh)
Ingredients
2 cup spinach, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 bunch dill, finely chopped
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
1 bunch mint, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ Perfect Sweet onions, or 1 ½ organic yellow onions, chopped
6 shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh turmeric, grated, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
9 cups vegetable broth or equivalent bouillon and water
1 - 8 oz. package whole wheat linguini or spaghetti, broken in thirds
1 package Melissa’s Steamed Chickpeas
1 package Melissa’s Steamed Lentils
1 package Melissa’s Steamed Fava Beans
1 cup plant-based plain, unsweetened yogurt or sour cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried mint
Salt & White Pepper to taste
Preparation
Chop the spinach and fresh herbs and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large stockpot and turn the heat to medium. 
Add in the chopped onions, shallots and ½ tablespoon of salt and sauté until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Remove ½ the onions and shallots from the pan and set aside to use as garnish. 
Add the garlic and turmeric to the stockpot and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the spinach and fresh herbs to the stockpot and stir to combine. Add the vegetable broth, chickpeas, lentils and fava beans to the stockpot, stir again and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the broken pasta to the pot and continue boiling for about 8-9 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. 
(While the pasta is cooking) in a small pan, heat up the two remaining tablespoons of olive oil on low heat. Add the dried mint to the oil, stir to coat, and remove the pan from the heat. 
Add the yogurt or sour cream to the pot and whisk until blended. Season the soup with salt and white pepper. Drizzle the mint oil over the soup and garnish with the remaining golden onions and shallots.
