RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Schelly Dardashti Noodle Soup, Persian: Ash-e-reshte - dairy, meat
Ash-e-reshte (Ash-soup, reshte-noodles) is another of the great winter soups. It is also traditional at life cycle events, a birthday party, a visitor arriving, or a traveler leaving, women getting together, etc. It can be made meatless, leaving out the meat and broth, thus allowing the recipe to contain the liquid whey (kashk) or yoghurt. To make it with meat, leave out the kashk or yoghurt. Ash-e-Reshte (meatless version) Serves about 6, can be doubled, tripled, frozen, reheated, your choice But always tastes better day after. if making it in a cold winter climate, just put the pot in an unheated garage, and heat it up the next day. For warmer climates, figure out a way to get all this into a refrigerator!! use a big pot 1/4 cup dried red kidney beans 1/4 cup navy beans 1/4 cup dried chickpeas Optional: also add 1/4 cup pinto beans 3-4 onions, very thinly sliced 1/2 cup oil 2 tsp salt 1/2-1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp turmeric 10 cups water 1/2 cup lentils 1/2 cup coarsely chopped scallions 1/2 to 1 cup coarsely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley 2 cups fresh or frozen chopped spinach 1 beet, peeled and diced in tiny dice 1/2 pound of flat egg noodles, or purchase "reshte" in Middle Eastern store. 1 cup liquid kashke or whey (Persian stores) or yoghurt Dried beans need to be rinsed and soaked for several hours, (or zap them in the microwave for about 20-30 minutes) Brown onions in oil (save 1/2 to 3/4 cup when done, for garnish). Add salt, pepper, turmeric. Add water and drained kidney beans, navy beans and chickpeas. Cover, simmer about 45 minutes. Add lentils. Cook another 1/2 hour. Add scallions, parsley, spinach, beet. Keep simmering, stir occasionally, for about 1/2 hour. Add noodles and cook about 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Check for seasoning. If too thick, more water can be added. Stir in kashk or yoghurt (in America some use sour cream). To avoid curdling with yoghurt or sour cream, take some of it and add a few spoons of hot soup to it, mix well, pour back into soup and mix. Along with golden brown sauteed onions, the garnish can include fresh or dried mint, and even a spoon of yoghurt. Ashe-e-Reshte with meat Use some or all beef broth to replace some or all of the water. Make tiny meatballs (Proportions, double as needed, are 1 pound ground beef, 2 small onions grated, seasoned with 1/2 tsp cinnamon (trust me!), 1/2 tsp pepper, salt, a few teaspoons water to make the mixture smoother, form into tiny balls and cook in soup.) Don't use kashk or yoghurt or dairy product. In line with our recent thread about non-dairy creamers, I have never made it with a dairy substitute, so don't know how it would work. Trick would be to use a substitute that was not sweet.
