A Little Song for You

Apropos to nothing, I thought I’d share this with you.

It’s a little Italian song that I learned on the fiddle. I learned it just yesterday, so there’s a number of mistakes, but I quite like the song overall. It’s called “Che ridere.”

Anyway, here it is! (Just follow the link.)

Che ridere

Persian Noodle Soup (Ash-e Reshteh)

Tags

cannellini beans, chickpeas, cumin, egg noodles, lime, persian, soup, vegetarian

I originally stumbled across this recipe on the site, 101 Cookbooks. A soup of noodles and beans that swim in an aromatic broth of turmeric and cumin, and topped with caramelized onions, walnuts, and sour cream, it caught my attention one wintry Chicago evening.

And thank goodness! It’s quickly become one of my favorite recipes, and I’ve already made it several times within the past few weeks. It’s a wonder that I haven’t shared it sooner.

The smokiness of the cumin, the brightness of the cilantro and dill, the sourness of the lime, the heat of the chilli powder and serrano pepper, the sweetness of the caramelized onions– I’ve never had a more complex soup before. Yet the flavors don’t contradict one another or fight for attention. Somehow, they manage to coexist in harmony, each taste settling onto one part of the tongue, allowing you to enjoy them all. This is truly soul food at its best.

Though the list of ingredients is quite extensive, this recipe requires very little time and effort, especially when you consider that the payoff is so rich.

Ash-e Reshteh (Adapted from 101 Cookbooks, as adapted from Saraban: A Chef’s Journey through Persia)

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 green serrano pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste

• 8 1/2 cups of broth
• 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas, rinsed if canned
• 1 1/2 cups of cannellini beans, rinsed if canned
• 4-5 oz. of egg noodles
• 3 1/2 oz. of fresh spinach (optional)
• 1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of dill, chopped
• one lime, juice and zest

• salt
• sour cream
• handful of walnuts

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onion, along with a generous pinch of salt, and cook until caramelized, about 1o minutes. When the onions are almost ready, through the walnuts into the mixture and toast them with the onions. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add one onion and the chile, cook until they soften. Add the spices, tomato paste, and lime zest, and mix well. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the chickpeas and cannellini beans. Let sit for a few minutes, until the beans are heated through.

Add the noodles, cook until al dente. Stir in spinach, cilantro, and dill. Squeeze the lime over the soup, and add salt to taste.

Serve immediately, topped with a generous helping of the onion/walnut mixture and a spoonful of sour cream.

Enjoy!