Ashe Reshte

Persian noodle soup (ashe means soup, reshte means noodles). This one also has beans and a beef garnish. Reshte can be found in Middle Eastern food stores. From step 4 on, you'll be cooking the soup and the meat garnish simultaneously, going back and forth between them, so you may want to keep 2 timers going to keep straight when to do what. Be sure to cook over very low heat so that liquids don't evaporate much. Preparation time does not include pre-soaking of the beans. The four servings are four HEARTY servings.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3  cups  finely sliced onions
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  teaspoon turmeric
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄4 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
• 1⁄4 cup red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
• 1⁄4 cup navy beans, soaked overnight and drained
• 2⁄3 cup lentils
• 1  cup  beef bouillon
• 2  cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup scallion, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup fresh dill weed, chopped
• 1⁄2 lb beef, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
• 1⁄2 cup onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced (or to taste)
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 2  tablespoons  yellow split peas
• 8  ounces  persian  noodles (reshte) or 8  ounces  flat egg noodles
• 1  tablespoon flour or 1⁄2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1⁄4 teaspoon saffron
• 1  teaspoon tomato paste
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 2  tablespoons vinegar
• 2  tablespoons sour cream
• 1  tablespoon  crushed of fresh mint or 1  teaspoon  crushed dried mint

Directions

1. In a dutch oven, saute' onions in 3 Tbs oil until golden; stir in turmeric through pepper. Place drained chickpeas, kidney and navy beans in the pot with the onions and add 2 1/2 qts water. Bring to a boil, cover, turn heat to low and let simmer 40 minutes.
2. Add lentils and bouillon, cover again and let simmer 40 more minutes.
3. Add spinach through dillweed and cook 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
4. As soon as spinach and herbs are added to the soup, begin the meat garnish: In a medium saucepan, saute beef through garlic in 1 Tbs oil until beef is browned and onion is soft. Add 1/2 cup water and the split peas, cover and cook 20 minutes over low heat.
5. Taste the soup (not the meat garnish), adjust the seasonings and add more water if too thick. Add noodles. Stir a bit of the soup liquid into the flour or cornstarch to dissolve, then stir solution back into the soup. Cook 10-12 minutes until noodles are done.
6. Dissolve the saffron in 1 Tbs hot water and combine with tomato paste and 1/4 tsp salt; stir into the meat garnish (not the soup). Cover and simmer 10 minutes more.
7. Stir some of the soup (not the meat garnish) into the 1/2 cup sour cream, then stir this mixture back into the soup (not the garnish). Stir in vinegar and cook a minute to heat through.
8. Pour soup into 4 large soup bowls. Add a quarter of the meat garnish to each bowl but do not stir in; on top of each, float a 1/2-Tbsp dollop of sour cream; sprinkle with mint and serve.