Orley Shabahang | Thanksgiving Recipe

Introduce new flavors into your Thanksgiving meal with osh-e reshte, a hearty and delicious Persian soup.

Osh-e Reshteh (Noodle Soup)

Makes 8 servings, preparation time 20 minutes plus 3 hours cook time

Ingredients:

1/4 cup oil

3 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced

10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 cup dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

12-14 cups broth or water

2 cups lentils

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 pound Persian noodles (reshteh) or linguine noodles

1 cup coarsely chopped spring onions

1 cup chopped fresh dill weed

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh parsley

3 pounds fresh spinach, washed and coarsely chopped, or 2 pounds chopped frozen spinach

2 cups liquid kashk

1/2 cup verjuice (ab-ghureh, unripe grape juice)

Garnish-

1/4 cup oil

10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 cup dried mint flakes, crushed

Directions:

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until hot. Add the onions and garlic and cook until golden brown. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, kidney beans, and chickpeas, and sautè for 2 minutes. Pour in 12 cups broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes over medium heat.
Add the lentils, cumin, coriander, and ginger, cover, and cook for 55 minutes longer. Check to be sure the beans are tender. Use a handheld mixer to partially puree the soup.
Add noodles and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add all the herbs. Cover and cook, stirring from time to time for 10 minutes.
Stir in the kashk, saving 2 tablespoons for the garnish. Add the verjuice and stir well with a wooden spoon for 1 minute until the kashk is thoroughly incorporated. Add more warm broth if the soup is too thick. Adjust seasoning to taste. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
To prepare the garnish, heat 1/4 oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sautè until golden brown. Add the turmeric, give it a stir, and remove from heat. Crumble the dried mint flakes in the palm of your hand and add it to the skillet. Stir well and set aside.
Pour the soup into a tureen. Add garnish and a dollop of kashk. Bring the tureen to the table to feast the eyes. Just before serving, use a long-handled ladle to stir the garnish, incorporating it into the soup.

**Vegetarian/vegan variation: Replace the broth with water.

You can find all of these recipes and more in Najmieh Batmanglij’s cookbook Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies. Nush-e-jan!