Authentic Ash Reshteh Recipe: Persian Noodle & Herb Soup
Ash reshteh is a thick, hearty Persian noodle soup packed with herbs, beans, and noodles, finished with a drizzle of tangy kashk and crispy fried mint and onion on top. It’s a beloved comfort food, often eaten in winter or shared for good fortune — the noodles are said to represent finding your way through life’s twists and turns.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: about 1 hour
- Servings: 4-6
Ash Reshteh Ingredients
- Reshteh noodles — thin Persian noodles made specifically for this soup. Shop ash reshteh noodles.
- Aush herb blend — a mix of parsley, spinach, and other greens specific to this soup. Shop aush herb blend.
- 1 can kidney beans, drained
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 1 onion, diced (plus extra for frying)
- 2-3 tbsp dried mint, for frying — shop mint herb.
- Kashk, for topping — shop Khoban Kashk or Goaldees Kashk.
- 2-3 tbsp oil, salt, pepper, turmeric to taste
How to Make Ash Reshteh
- Sauté the diced onion in oil until golden. Add turmeric, salt, and pepper, then add water and bring to a simmer.
- Add the kidney beans and chickpeas, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the aush herb blend (rehydrated if needed) and simmer for another 20 minutes, until the greens soften and the soup thickens.
- Add the reshteh noodles and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick together.
- While the soup finishes, fry a sliced onion and the dried mint separately in a little oil until crisp and fragrant — this is the classic garnish.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, then top generously with kashk, the fried mint, and fried onion. Serve hot.
Short on Time? Try the Ready-Made Version
Making ash reshteh from scratch involves several simmering stages. If you want the flavor without the process, Goaldees also carries a ready-to-eat canned ash reshteh. Just heat and top with kashk.
Tips for the Best Ash Reshteh
- Don’t skip the fried mint and onion garnish — it’s what gives ash reshteh its signature aroma and finishing touch.
- The soup should be thick — ash reshteh is heartier than a typical soup, closer to a stew; let it reduce if it’s too thin.
- Kashk is meant to be generous — don’t be shy with the drizzle on top, it’s a defining part of the dish.
The Three Things That Go Wrong With Ash Reshteh
Kashk curdles if you boil it
This is the most common mistake. Kashk is a dairy product, and boiling it splits it into grainy curds. Stir it in off the heat or at a bare simmer, right at the end, and reserve some to drizzle on top at serving. If you are using dried kashk, soak and blend it to a smooth cream first — lumps that go in lumpy stay lumpy.
Reshteh go in last, and thicken everything
Persian reshteh noodles release considerable starch, which is part of how ash reshteh gets its body — but it means they keep thickening the pot after they are cooked. Add them near the end, only until tender. Left simmering, they soften into the soup and the ash turns claggy; on reheating the next day it will thicken further, so hold back some liquid or plan to loosen it with hot water.
The fried onion and mint topping is not optional garnish
The dark fried onions (piaz dagh) and mint oil (na’na dagh) carry a large share of the flavour. Fry the onions slowly to a genuine deep brown — this takes far longer than most people expect — and add the dried mint to warm oil off the heat, or briefly at low heat. Mint scorches almost instantly and burnt mint is acrid; you are warming it to bloom the aroma, not frying it.
Troubleshooting
- Grainy, split kashk — it was boiled. Add kashk off the heat at the end.
- Gluey, too thick — noodles overcooked or added too early; loosen with hot water.
- Bitter, acrid topping — the mint burned. Warm it in oil off the heat instead.
- Bland — usually under-fried onions. Pale onions contribute little; they need to be deeply browned.
- Beans still firm — cook the legumes fully before the greens and noodles go in; they will not soften further once the pot is crowded.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ash reshteh taste like?
Ash reshteh is savory and herby, with a hearty, thick texture from the beans and noodles, finished with the tangy, salty flavor of kashk on top.
Why do people eat ash reshteh for good luck?
The long noodles in ash reshteh are traditionally said to represent finding one’s way through life’s twists and turns, making it a symbolic dish for new beginnings and journeys.
Can I make ash reshteh vegetarian?
Yes — ash reshteh is naturally vegetarian (and easily vegan if kashk is omitted or substituted), built entirely from herbs, beans, and noodles.
What is the topping on ash reshteh made of?
The classic topping is a drizzle of kashk (dried fermented whey, rehydrated) along with onion and mint fried until crisp in oil.
Why did my kashk go grainy?
It was boiled. Kashk is a dairy product and splits into curds at a rolling boil. Stir it in off the heat or at a bare simmer at the very end, and if using dried kashk, soak and blend it smooth before it goes anywhere near the pot.
Why did my ash turn gluey?
The reshteh noodles. They release a lot of starch and keep thickening the soup after cooking, so adding them too early or simmering them too long turns the ash claggy. Add them near the end, and expect it to thicken further overnight — loosen with hot water when reheating.
Is there a quicker way to make ash reshteh?
Yes — Goaldees sells a ready-to-eat canned ash reshteh, so you can skip the multi-stage simmering and just heat and top with kashk.
Shop the Ingredients
Get everything you need for authentic ash reshteh — reshteh noodles, aush herb blend, and kashk — from Goaldees. Shop Noodles, Herbs, and Kashk.
Curious what’s in the aush herb blend used here? See our Persian dried herbs guide.
Want more heat-and-serve options? See our Persian Canned Meals Guide for the full ready-to-eat lineup.
