Iran (Persia)
AshReshteh
A thick, herb-green Persian noodle and bean soup, finished with crispy mint, golden onions and a swirl of cashew kashk — Nowruz in a bowl.
Prep
20 min
Cook
75 min
Serves
6
Level
Medium
Flavor
Herbaceous · tangy · richly savory
The Story
Why this dish — and how it became plant-based
Ash reshteh is the most beloved soup of Iran — served at Nowruz (Persian New Year) and at every family gathering between. The name means 'noodle soup with destiny,' because the long reshteh noodles symbolize the threads of life and the future. It is the kind of dish that takes a kitchen full of conversation to make and one bowl to fall in love with.
It's built on chickpeas, two kinds of beans, lentils, mountains of fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill and spinach), wheat noodles, and the signature finishing trio: kashk (a tangy fermented dairy), crispy fried mint (nana dagh), and dark caramelized onions. Cashew cream stands in for kashk effortlessly — same tang, same richness, none of the dairy.
Ingredients
What you'll need
Beans & lentils
- •½ cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (or 1 can drained)
- •½ cup dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight (or 1 can drained)
- •½ cup brown or green lentils
- •8 cups water or vegetable stock
Aromatics & herbs
- •3 tbsp olive oil
- •2 large onions, finely chopped (keep 1 separate for garnish)
- •5 garlic cloves, minced
- •1 tsp turmeric
- •1 tsp black pepper
- •2 cups fresh parsley, chopped
- •2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
- •1 cup fresh dill, chopped
- •4 cups baby spinach (or 1 cup frozen chopped spinach)
- •1 tsp salt (more to taste)
Noodles & finish
- •150g Persian reshteh noodles (or linguine broken into 3-inch pieces)
- •Juice of 1 lemon (or 1 tbsp white vinegar)
Cashew kashk
- •½ cup raw cashews, soaked 2 hours in hot water
- •¼ cup water
- •2 tbsp lemon juice
- •1 tsp white miso (optional, for tang)
- •½ tsp salt
Crispy garnish (nana dagh)
- •1 small onion (reserved), thinly sliced and fried in 3 tbsp oil until dark golden
- •1 tbsp dried mint, fried 30 seconds in the leftover onion oil — until it turns bright green-black and smells intoxicating
Method
Step by step
- 1
If using dried beans: simmer chickpeas and kidney beans in plenty of water 45–60 minutes until tender. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.
- 2
In a large pot, heat 3 tbsp olive oil. Sauté one chopped onion 8 minutes until golden. Add garlic, turmeric and black pepper; cook 1 minute.
- 3
Add cooked beans (or canned), lentils, and 8 cups water/stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer 25 minutes until lentils are tender.
- 4
Meanwhile, blend cashew kashk ingredients until completely smooth. Set aside.
- 5
Add chopped parsley, cilantro, dill and spinach to the pot. Simmer another 15 minutes — the soup should turn deeply green and thicken.
- 6
Add the reshteh noodles. Simmer 8–10 minutes until tender. The soup will thicken further; loosen with a splash of water if needed.
- 7
Stir in lemon juice and salt. Taste and adjust — it should taste herbal, tangy and rich.
- 8
While the noodles cook: fry the reserved sliced onion in 3 tbsp oil over medium until very dark golden, about 8 minutes. Remove onions. In the same oil (off the heat), add dried mint and stir 20 seconds — it will sizzle and turn dark green.
- 9
Ladle into bowls. Swirl in cashew kashk. Crown each bowl with fried onions and a drizzle of mint oil. Serve with extra lemon.
The Veganisation
Traditional → Plant-Based, swap by swap
Original
Kashk (fermented dairy whey)
Plant-based
Cashew kashk with miso for tang
Original
Beef-stock base
Plant-based
Vegetable stock + extra herbs
Chef Notes
Get it right the first time
- →Don't skip the nana dagh (mint oil). It's the soul of the dish.
- →Use lots of herbs — they look like an absurd amount before they cook down. They are the body of the soup.
- →Reshteh noodles are sold at Middle Eastern groceries. Linguine broken into 3-inch pieces is a fine substitute.
- →Better the next day. Make a big pot.
- →Traditional kashk has a strong fermented tang. Add a teaspoon of miso to the cashew cream for that authentic 'almost too funky' note.
Serve with
Sangak or barbari flatbread · Sabzi khordan (fresh herb plate) · Persian black tea
One Plate, Two Wins
Delicious tonight. Kind every night.
Every traditional dish has a plant-based soul waiting to be uncovered — you just have to listen to the spices, not the meat.
Hungry for more world flavors?
Explore another dish from our global vegan kitchen.