A classic Iranian winter solstice recipe from the Keshavarz Cheyene Family. Read more recipes from the Wildwood Family Cookbook here. Bon Appetit!
“The winter solstice (Shab Yalda) is a big deal for Iranian families. It’s a night we stay up past midnight to recite poetry, music and eat a myriad of foods. The most important of which is Ash Reshteh…. the noodles of which are meant to symbolize the transitions from one thread of our lives to another. This recipe is from our family to all of Wildwood.” 
– The Keshavarz Cheyene Family
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The Keshavarz Cheyene Family’s Ash Reshteh (Vegetable And Noodle Soup)
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
Description
A classic Iranian winter solstice recipe from the Keshavarz Cheyene Family. Read more recipes from the Wildwood Family…
Ingredients
- 1/2 cups (120 ml) kidney beans
- 1/2 cups (120 ml) chickpeas
- 1/2 cups (120 ml) navy beans
- 1 cup (240 ml) chopped parsley
- 1 cup (240 ml) chopped spinach
- 1 cup (240 ml) chopped coriander
- 1 cup (240 ml) chopped dill
- 500 gram linguine (or persian reshteh noodles if you can get them)
- 2 large onions
- 2 tbsp flour
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp chopped mint, fresh or dry
- 1 cup (240 ml) Kashk (Whey) or sour cream
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Put the kidney beans, navy beans and chickpeas in a large pot, add water and let cook until tender and set aside.
- Boil 6 cups of water in a large pot and add parsley, spinach, dill and coriander to it. Let cook for 20 minutes.
- Break up the noodles into strands of a couple of inches in length and add to the mixture and let simmer until they are cooked. Then add the flour to it.
- Slice the onions and saute them in a pan with vegetable oil until the color turns golden.
- Add salt, turmeric, pepper and mint to onions. stir and add it to the pot with noodles and vegetables.
- Add cooked legumes (kidney beans, navy beans and chickpeas) to the pot. Place the lid on and let it cook for 30 minutes over low heat.
- Place Ash Reshteh in a large serving bowl and top with sauteed onion and whey.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ash Reshteh, and what is the cultural significance of the noodles?
Ash Reshteh is a thick Iranian herb-and-noodle soup traditionally eaten on Shab Yalda, the Iranian winter solstice celebration. The article explains that the noodles are symbolically important — they represent “the transitions from one thread of our lives to another,” making the soup a ritual food for the longest night of the year when families stay up past midnight to recite poetry and music.
What is Kashk, and what can I substitute if I can’t find it?
Kashk is a tangy, thick fermented whey product used in Persian cooking — it has a sharper, more concentrated sourness than yogurt or sour cream. The recipe lists “1 cup Kashk (Whey) or sour cream” as interchangeable, so sour cream is the suggested substitute if you can’t find Kashk at a Middle Eastern grocery.
Can I use regular pasta instead of Persian reshteh noodles?
Yes — the recipe explicitly says “500 g linguine (or Persian reshteh noodles if you can get them),” so linguine is the intended accessible substitute. The instructions call for breaking the noodles into strands a couple of inches long before adding them to the pot.
