Ash Reshteh – Persian for “OMFG, this is good!”

This is my take on a classic Persian soup that in a fantastic way to use up a ton of greens and herbs that may be coming out of your garden or CSA bag. I honestly had some low expectations the first time I made this. It sounded like a pretty boring soup: healthfood masquerading as something fun. But rather than being uninspired glop, this turned out to be a hugely satisfying and incredibly delicious recipe—in part because of the use of a variety of wonderful garnishes. Being wrong has never been as deliciously pleasant.

Serve with a crap ton of garnishes and flatbread, if available.

Prep time: 3 cocktails

1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, stems removed
1-2 bunches cilantro, stems removed
1 cup fresh dill, stems removed
1 cup fresh basil, stems removed
Olive oil
1 ½ yellow onions, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic
½ tsp turmeric
1 TBSP zaatar
Ground black pepper
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
¼-1/2 cup French green lentils
3 quarts vegetable stock, homemade or store-bought
1 pound frozen spinach or chard, chopped
6-8 ounces whole wheat linguini
1-2 pinches saffron
Lemon wedges

Garnishes should include at least a few of the following:
Fresh mint
Plain yogurt or sour cream
Fried scallions (you can make them yourself or buy a bag at an Asian grocer)
The greens of a bunch of scallions, chopped

Combine herbs in a food processor and pulse until you get to the point of having them coarsely chopped – maybe 6-8 pulses. You want the average piece to be a little smaller than your pinky fingernail. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add onions and sauté, stirring well, until they turn a little golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté one more minute, stirring a few times. Add turmeric, zaatar, and a lot of fresh ground black pepper and stir until everything is well-integrated and fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.

Add garbanzo beans and lentils. Stir well for 30 seconds and add your veggie stock, frozen spinach or chard, and the herb mixture from the food processor. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered for 60 minutes. Adding water if needed.

Now break your dried linguini in half and break each half again so that you end p with quarter-length noodles. Stir into the soup and stir frequently. Boil uncovered until the noodles are done and the lentils are soft – about 20-30 more minutes, adding more water if necessary.

When noodles are just about done, boil a very small amount of water. Crush up the saffron threads between your fingers and place in a small bowl. Pour a couple tablespoons of the boiling water over the threads and allow to steep for 2 minutes. Then add the saffron/water to the soup and stir well. Cook everything a couple more minutes and adjust taste, as necessary.

Serve with lemon wedges and garnishes.

Confused identity cauliflower kuku

 

I don’t really know what this is, besides great. I made this as an attempt to make kuku, a Persian dish that is basically a pan of cooked fresh herbs held together with a bit of egg. But with less herbs than most traditional kukus, it’s a little more like an herb-rich frittata. Except it doesn’t have any eggs. Oh, and I threw in a head of roasted cauliflower just for shits and giggles too. So while it’s not exactly any one dish, it is damn delicious. It’s really perfect when you have a ton of herbs in the garden.

This recipe uses the vegan egg replacement called Just Eggs, a pretty remarkable substitute that tastes and cooks identical to real eggs. That said, you can substitute 6-7 scrambled eggs if you can’t find Just Eggs—which are available at natural grocers and many traditional supermarkets.

Prep time: 3 cocktails

1 medium head cauliflower
Olive or canola oil
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, stems removed
1-2 bunches cilantro, stems removed
1 cup fresh dill, stems removed
1 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp fenugreek seeds, ground up a bit in mortar and pestle
1 tsp turmeric
A couple pinches red chili flakes, optional
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 12-ounce bottle Just Eggs
Paprika and a few pinches of minced fresh herbs for garnish, optional
Crumbled feta, vegan or non-vegan, for serving

Preheat oven to 375. Break the cauliflower down into small, bite-sized (or a little smaller) florets. In a large bowl toss the florets with 1-2 TBSP oil and a couple big pinches of salt until they are well-coated. Spread cauliflower out on a large baking sheet, so pieces aren’t touching. Once the oven is fully warm, put cauliflower in for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are just a touch browned and the pieces have become a bit tender but aren’t fully soft. Remove and allow to cool in the pan on the countertop.

Reduce oven heat to 350.

In a food processor, combine parsley, cilantro, basil, and dill. Pulse about 6 times until you get herbs that are coarsely chopped—average size pieces should be a little smaller than your pinky fingernail; you’ll also likely have to scrape down the inside after the first couple pulses. Set this herb mixture aside.

In a large pan, heat 2-3 TBSP oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add chopped onion and saute until translucent, about 6-10 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute. Stir in cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, chili flakes (if using), salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until everything is well integrated and becomes nice and fragrant, about 30-60 more seconds. Now transfer the herb mixture to the pan and cook, stirring a few times a minute for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool at least 10 minutes.

While your herbs are cooling put 1-2 TBBSP oil in a 9x9 square baking dish. Swirl oil around so the sides get a thin coating. Place the oiled pan in the oven to heat it up.

Once herb/onion mixture and cauliflower have cooled to the point where you could comfortable touch them, combine them in a large mixing bowl along with the Just Eggs (or your real eggs). Stir well until everything is evenly distributed.

Take your hot oiled baking dish out of the oven (if needs at least 4 minutes in the oven to get warm enough) and place it on a trivet or towel and, moving quickly, transfer the mixture from your large mixing bowl into the pan. You’ll need to use a wooden spoon or spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed.

Return the pan to the oven and bake, uncovered for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake another 20-30 minutes or until the center is cooked and the edges are nicely browned.

Remove from oven and let cool at least 10 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle paprika and herbs on top and serve—either warm or at room temperature—with feta on top.