Persian Spinach and Noodle Soup (Ash-e Reshteh)

This spinach noodle soup is my secret weapon to staying healthy. When I'm not eating out, I make sure I eat damn well, and this soup is one of my default dishes. This soup is likely the first thing I make when I return from my travels. I make a huge honkin pot that will last me days, and this is how I 'detox' from my travels.

To some, this soup will look extremely unappetizing, but if you keep an open mind, you'll learn that it is delicious. What's best is that you get everything your body craves: protein, vegetables, fiber, carbohydrates...

I recently received an email from a reader asking for the recipe for this soup (after seeing this old post), so here it is. Good luck and I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
This recipe yields 8-10 servings.

Persian Spinach and Noodle Soup (Ash-e Reshteh)
- 11 oz, 312g package of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 6 scallions, roughly chopped
- 2 cups of coriander, roughly chopped and loosely packed
- 2 Tbsp dried mint
- 10 cups of water, or broth of choice
- 1/3 cup of dried chickpeas
- 1/3 cup of dried red kidney beans
- 1/3 cup of dried navy beans
- 3/4 cup of dried green lentils
- 3 small onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups of dried Persian noodles (reshteh)
- 1 tsp of turmeric powder
- salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Steam the chickpeas, kidney beans, and navy beans. To do this, boil 2 cups of salted water in a small pot. Turn off the heat, pour in the beans, and leave the lid on for at least 40 minutes. Drain excess water.

2. In a large pot, sautee the onions and garlic with extra virgin olive oil, turmeric, and a dash of salt. Add 10 cups of water (or broth), and bring to a boil. Add spinach, coriander, scallions, and mint. Simmer for 45 minutes

3. Add the steamed beans. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the dried lentils. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the noodles and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Serve hot. If you feel your soup is not thick enough, sift some all purpose flour into the soup.

Once you get comfortable with making this soup, you can go ahead and use any combination of greens and beans you want. For the greens, keep in mind that the majority should be spinach.

If you don't want to spend the time to prepare the dried beans, you can always used canned beans which takes a lot less time. If that is the case, add the beans near the end of the recipe so that they don't overcook.

Persians like to add a hint of sourness to this soup. An option is to stir in a bit of plain yogurt or whey right before serving.