Ash Reshteh: Persian herb, bean and noodle soup

Ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided: 3 for soup, 1 for fried-onion garnish, 1 for dried-mint oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced and divided: 1 for the soup base and 1 for the fried-onion garnish
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons dried mint, divided
• 1 cup dry green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 US cups water, with more hot water available as the soup thickens
• 12 ounces fresh spinach, thoroughly rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1 3/4 US cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, loosely filled
• 1 US cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely filled
• 8 ounces dry ash reshteh noodles (check the label; not the toasted noodles sold for rice)
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 US cup plain unsweetened yogurt for an optional serving drizzle; choose a dairy-free topping if required

Method

1. Rinse and pick over the lentils; drain and rinse both cans of beans. Wash the spinach, parsley and cilantro and chop them. Have a large, heavy pot ready because the noodles and greens will increase the soup's volume.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in the pot over medium heat. Cook one sliced onion until soft and golden at the edges. Add the garlic and turmeric, stir briefly without browning the garlic, then stir in 1 tablespoon dried mint away from aggressive heat.
3. Add the lentils, chickpeas, pinto beans and 8 cups water. Bring to a simmer. Add spinach, parsley and cilantro in handfuls, allowing each addition to wilt. Cover loosely and simmer, stirring from the bottom occasionally, until the lentils are tender; begin checking around 35–40 minutes rather than using the clock alone.
4. Break the ash noodles into manageable shorter lengths and stir them thoroughly into the simmering soup. Cook uncovered, stirring regularly, until the noodle pieces are tender and the soup is thick but still spoonable. Start checking at the package's cooking time; the referenced versions commonly allow about 10–15 minutes. Add hot water gradually if the pasta absorbs too much liquid. Salt cautiously because noodle brands vary.
5. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the measured oil in a separate skillet and cook the second onion slowly until golden at the edges. In a small skillet over low heat warm the final tablespoon of measured oil, briefly stir in the remaining tablespoon of dried mint, and remove the pan from the heat before the mint darkens.
6. Ladle into bowls and add some of the cooked onion, mint oil and a little plain yogurt if desired. This is a yogurt-topped adaptation, not a claim that yogurt and kashk are the same ingredient. Refrigerate any remaining soup promptly in shallow containers.