An ancient Persian dish for new beginnings
Served at Nowruz, ash-e reshteh is a soup for when embarking on the unfamiliar — or make it simply for comfort
In Iran, notes Najmieh Batmanglij in her cookbook Food of Life, it's a custom to eat noodles before starting something new as they represent the many paths life offers us. "Eating those tangled strands," she writes, "is like unravelling the Gordian knot of life's infinite possibilities in order to pick out the best." No surprise then that ash-e reshteh is served at Nowruz, the Persian New Year and the first day of spring. The traditional noodle soup bookends the holiday, eaten on Chaharshanbe Soori, the festival of fire just before Nowruz, and Sizdah Bedar on the last day of celebrations when families often picnic together in nature. Given the upheaval of the last two years, I'm sure many of us would appreciate a ritual that can help guide us through important life choices right now. Having just made some major changes of my own, I'm certainly reflecting on the comfort I find in this dish.
I grew up in the East Midlands of England feeling only "a bit" Iranian, without much in my life that linked me to the country or culture. My strongest connection to that part of my heritage was always through food. Events within our Iranian community in Nottingham always centred around a traditional feast, the air full of delicious aromas, everyone cross-legged on someone's living room floor. I didn't understand the language people were speaking, but it didn't matter — I was home. I've eaten this dish for much of my life but without realizing its significance, consuming it most as a teen when I worked for my dad in his Persian restaurant. I was a strict vegetarian for a time, so I wouldn't touch the famous meat kebabs, but ash-e reshteh was my go-to, a favourite that sustained me through those years. It's a thick and hearty noodle soup — closer in consistency to a chili — full of pulses, greens and herbs. It's also one of those dishes that's enormously comforting to eat, like a big hug, and so satisfying with all the delicious toppings piled on.
Ash-e reshteh has become nostalgic for me during my 20 years in Canada, away from my family and our traditions. In my version of the allegorical dish I've tried to recreate it like I remember it. We used to stir in yogurt just before serving, though kashk (a salted, fermented dairy product) is more authentic. And I've made some other less traditional choices, like adding kale alongside the classic spinach, and leeks to diversify the alliums. I've maxed out the toppings too, but trust me, it's worth it to do them all! Ash-e reshteh is a celebratory dish and accordingly, it can take a bit of time to prepare. But it's extra tasty when it gets to hang around in the fridge for a day or two, so it's perfect to prepare ahead. Plus it can handle a lot of customizing and is easy to make vegan.
Reasons to make ash-e reshteh are many; whether or not you celebrate Nowruz, being in your kitchen surrounded by growing piles of fragrant herbs is a beautiful way to usher in the spring. And of course it's a good time to try it if you're embarking on the unfamiliar — or just looking for a big bowl of comfort.
Leila Ashtari is a food and travel photographer based in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. She loves telling stories about food, people and places through pictures. As well as contributing to CBC Life, her work has been published in Saveur, Condé Nast Traveler, the New York Times and Vanity Fair, among others. In her spare time she makes cider and is learning how to farm. See more of her work at leilaashtari.com or on Instagram @ashtariphoto.
