Ash reshteh

Step 1: Heat 4 tablespoons of 3 ⅝ tbsp sunflower oil in a large pot over a medium heat and fry 3 onions for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown. Lift out half and keep for the topping.

Step 2: Add 6 cloves garlic and 1 tsp ground turmeric to the onions left in the pot and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant. Keep a spoonful of fried garlic aside for the top if you like.

Step 3: Add 3 ½ oz brown lentils and 10 ½ cups vegetable stock, bring to the boil and simmer over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until the lentils are nearly soft.

Step 4: Add 8 ½ oz cooked chickpeas, 8 ½ oz cooked kidney beans, 9 oz spinach, 3 ½ oz flat-leaf parsley, 3 ½ oz fresh coriander, 1 ⅜ oz fresh dill and 1 ¾ oz chives. Stir until the greens wilt, then simmer partly covered for 30 minutes, until the herbs turn dark and the broth thickens.

Step 5: Add 5 ½ oz reshteh (Persian flat noodles), 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until the noodles are soft and the soup is thick enough to coat a spoon. A common mistake is walking away now: the noodles release starch and the soup sticks and burns on the bottom.

Step 6: Turn off the heat and stir in two-thirds of ½ cup liquid kashk. Taste for salt; kashk is salty.

Step 7: Heat the rest of 2 ⅜ tbsp sunflower oil in a small pan, take off the heat and stir in 2 tbsp dried mint for 5–10 seconds until it smells sweet and the oil turns green. Don't let it go brown.

Step 8: Ladle the soup into a wide bowl. Swirl the rest of 3 ½ tbsp liquid kashk on top, then the mint oil and the reserved crisp onions. Serve hot.