All RecipesSoups and Stews · One-Pot

Persian-Inspired Beans and Greens Soup

35 minutes·Serves 4–6

This soup was lightly inspired by ash reshteh, a Persian soup made with white beans, greens, and noodles. The original is delicious but making it can be a production. So I’ve cut out a couple of steps, like chilling the beans and herbs a day ahead of time. I also removed the pasta to make it more soup than stew. The result is a hearty but not heavy, easy-to-assemble dinner. Top it off with a dollop of cooling yogurt and freshly chopped chives.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 can (15-ounce) any white bean, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Serving suggestion

Chopped fresh chives

Chopped roasted hazelnuts

Plain Greek yogurt

Instructions

  1. 1Sauté the olive oil and onion in a large soup pot over medium heat until the onion is fragrant and soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, turmeric, and salt and sauté for 1 more minute.
  2. 2Stir in the white beans, lentils, dill, and vegetable broth, making sure nothing gets stuck to the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. 3Add the cilantro, spinach, and cayenne pepper and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
  4. 4Serve with a sprinkling of fresh chives and chopped hazelnuts, and a generous dollop of plain yogurt.

Easy Ingredient Swaps

Swiss chard, arugula, collard greens, or kale for the spinach

Any roasted nuts for the hazelnuts

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