Posted on: November 19, 2018
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!