Fun with Jane & Dick

Ashereste is  a Persian hearty soup that could easily be a meal on its own. This is an EXCELLENT soup for the cold, cold winter we’re having.

Because this soup takes a while to make, I usually make a bunch and either have people over, give it away, or freeze it to eat another day.

ASHERESTE INGREDIENTS

STEP 1

Since the lentils are dry, they take a long time to cook. Therefore, you need to soak them in warm water for about .5 hour prior to adding them to the soup. This is why I soak it first because it”ll be around that time once you do some of the other stuff you need to.

STEP 2

Meanwhile, fill a 16 Quart Pot with about halfway to 8 quarts of water . Bring to a boil.

STEP 3

After thoroughly soaking and washing the leek, spinach and parsley, chop them up and add them to the water.

Dice one onion and add to the water as well.

Notice the water doesn’t have to be boiling when you add the veggies.

Once it starts to boil though, turn the heat down to medium.

STEP 4

When the veggies look like they’re getting soft and dark green, add the beans and lentils.

You’ll need to stir every so often since the beans tend to settle at the bottom and will burn if not stirred.

Add about 3-4 teaspoons of Salt and allow to cook for about 1.5 hours or until the veggies and beans are thoroughly cooked on a med-low setting (3-ish). You can also add a few tablespoons olive oil, which Persians love to do because it adds that extra flavor. For some, Persian food is not done right unless there is that layer of oil on top.

STEP 5

While the soup is cooking, slice an onion into thin, length-wise pieces. Cook in a pan with olive oil, sprinkle on turmeric and about a teaspoon of mint. Cook until brown and somewhat burnt along the edges.

Also slice up the garlic bulb and do the same thing. Cook until brown and crispy.

Set aside as toppings for the soup.

STEP 6

At the end, when the beans and veggies are very soft, you then add the ashereste noodles. I get these in a Persian store but if I didn’t have access to purchase these noodles, I guess I would substitute with a type of flat noodle. I would say Fettuccini but it’s kinda thick and takes a long time to cook. These noodles don’t take that long.

Let them cook until they get soft. They will add to the thickness to the soup. This is one of those soups that you can’t overcook. Persian food is like that…the longer you cook it, the better it tastes.

Step 7

Even after the noodles cook, the soup will seem a little watery still. Ashereste should be thick so it’s time to add a couple more things.

Add about 3 tablespoons of KASHKE (a whey paste) if you have it, if not, plain yogurt will work fine. Then, using a tablespoon of cornstarch, add some cold water to water it down.

Now the way to use cornstarch is you have to turn the soup back up to HIGH so that it gets really hot. Otherwise, the cornstarch will not condense. Then pour in the cornstarch slowly as you stir. Pay attention as you will see it start to thicken. Stop adding more cornstarch if it’s thick enough. If not, add more.

Salt to your taste if it still needs it.

AND SERVE

Since I didn’t have KASHKE (or whey paste), I added a dollop of plain yogurt and top it off with the fried onions and garlic that was set aside. Yummy!

-Jane, Persian Cooking Goddess

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