I am so excited to share this recipe with you because it tastes like nothing you’ve had before, unless you’ve laid your taste buds on food from the persian cuisine other than kebab koobideh!

This mixed beans and noodle soup, also known as “Ash Reshteh”, is a thick soup which is traditionally prepared to welcome the Persian New Year (Norouz) and noodles are believed to bring good fortune for the following year. There are many different kinds of “Ash” (soup) in Iran but Ash Reshteh is the most popular one among all. The reshteh part in the name of the dish comes from the noodles which are similar to hard fettuccine noodles. I will be using gluten free edamame noodles as they’re much more nutritious and high in fibre, they’re lighter on the stomach and taste just as amazing.

Packed full of so much protein and vitamins from the fresh greens, herbs and legumes it will honestly make you want to cook it again once it all gets demolished!

My mum would always make this for us, especially during winter; she would cook up a gigantic pot of this every weekend and we’d feed on it throughout the week. It’s super delicious and freezes perfectly. It’s also very nutritious and vegetarian/vegan friendly.

Get in your cookery and make this awesome dish, you won’t regret it!

Serves 6

Ingredients: 

500g fresh spinach, finely chopped

50g edamame noodles (soba or any other gluten free noodles are good too)

Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped

Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

Handful fresh mint, finely chopped

Handful fresh basil, finely chopped

Handful fresh dill, finely chopped

Handful fresh chives, finely chopped

4 spring onions, finely sliced

2 shallots, diced

2 garlic gloves, minced

2 cans chickpeas, drained and washed

1 cup red lentils

1 cup black eyed beans

1 cup brown lentils

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp dried coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp coconut oil

Himalayan/Sea salt, to taste

Method:

Soak all the lentils and black eyed beans in one bowl for at least 1 hour in a bowl of water. Rinse and drain after that.

Heat a large saucepan with coconut oil and place in the shallots, garlic and spring onion. Cooking until golden/translucent and add in the spinach, dill, coriander, parsley, basil, chives. Combine everything together so it all cooks as one for 30 minutes adding 500 ml of water half way through. Then add in all the beans, lentils and noodles along with 1 litre of water. Place the heat on highest, add in the black pepper, cumin, dried coriander and turmeric. Put the lid on the pan, boil and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring the soup every 5-10 minutes.

Lower the heat, add salt and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Serve and garnish with a drizzle of tahini garlic sauce and fresh herb. Enjoy!