Iranian ash-e reshteh (herb and bean soup)

A Persian vegan dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h

Organic sourcing

Spinach and fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, and dill benefit from organic sourcing as they are on the EWG Dirty Dozen list due to pesticide residue risks.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 150 g reshteh noodles or linguine
• 1/4 cup good-quality kashk or sour yogurt (optional)
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper
• 4 cups vegetable stock (ideally homemade)

Method

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until golden brown.
2. Add the garlic and turmeric to the onions, cooking for another minute until aromatic.
3. Drain the chickpeas and kidney beans. Add them to the pot along with the lentils and vegetable stock.
4. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, until the beans are tender.
5. Stir in the spinach, parsley, cilantro, and dill. Cook for 10 more minutes.
6. Add the noodles, cooking until soft, about 10-12 minutes.
7. Season the soup with salt and pepper according to taste.
8. Serve hot, with a drizzle of kashk or sour yogurt on top, if using.

Notes

• If reshteh is unavailable, substitute with linguine broken into pieces.
• Kashk is fermented whey; for a vegan option, omit it.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic Persian recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.