Rich Persian Soup with Spinach, Legumes and Herbs

I first fell in love with Ash Reshteh - a thick soup with herbs,legumes and noodles - as a teen. My family briefly lived in Southern California, and we regularly ate this stunning dish at our local Persian restaurant. Over the years I've found lots of recipes for it, but I've never tried them, in part because I couldn't get my hands on Reshteh - Persian noodles - and wasn't sure if other types of noodles would have the same fabulous texture.

It's been cold and rainy out here, so a few days ago I found myself googling "vegetarian winter recipes", and came across this list, which has lots of interesting ideas. Among them was this recipe
which is based on Ash Reshteh, but has no noodles in it. With the lentils, beans, and chickpeas, it's still incredibly filling and satisfying, with a nice sour undertone that cuts through the richness.  My version is a bit simpler with the garnishes, but otherwise much the same as the original.

 If you still want the extra comforting texture of noodles, I would throw them in a bit before adding the greens, and let them cook with the lentils and beans for a few minutes.

This soup is naturally GF. If you want it to be vegan, just skip the yogurt/buttermilk at the end. If you prefer a thinner texture, or if the soup thickens up after being in the fridge, just add some more water at the end.

Note: The dried beans need to be soaked overnight, or for at least 8 hours, before making this soup, so plan ahead. You can soak the beans and chickpeas together.

Rich Persian Soup with Spinach, Legumes, and Herbs 

Ingredients: 
For the Soup: 
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil (sunflower, canola, or other neutral flavor)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
-  1/2 cup dried beans (the original recipe calls for navy  beans. I used a multi-colored bean mix, soaked overnight and drained
- 1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
- 1/2 cup green lentils, rinsed
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 8 cups cold water
- 5 oz (about 140 grams) fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup dill, chopped
-  2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt and Pepper

For the Garnish (optional):
 - 3 tbsp vegetable oil (do NOT skimp on the oil here, or the onions will burn rather than fry)
- 1 large onion, sliced into thin rings
- Greek yogurt or Buttermilk or a mixture of both.

Preparation:
Soup

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and golden. Do not over-heat, as the onion will burn.

2. Add the garlic, beans, and chickpeas (but not the lentils!) and season with the turmeric. Stir for a minute or two until you can start to smell the garlic cooking. Add the water, mix, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so the soup is simmering, and cook, uncovered, for about 35 minutes.

3. Add the lentils, and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 25-35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and the beans are creamy-soft but don't lose their shape.  I found it helpful to add some salt and pepper at this point, as it was unpleasant to taste the beans unseasoned. At this point you should have a very thick mixture, closer to stew than soup. 

4. Add in the spinach and the herbs, and cook for 4-6 minutes, until the greens have wilted. The water released from the greens should bring the whole thing back to the texture of a thick soup. Add in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Onion Garnish: 
5. In a pan, heat up the oil over medium-high heat, and add in the onion rings. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion turns golden, then lower the heat to a medium, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly charred and crispy.

To serve: 6. Plate each portion of soup in a bowl, drizzle some yogurt or buttermilk into the bowl, and top with the crispy onions.

Enjoy!