In Iran it is customary to eat noodles before embarking on something new.

Noodles in this soup symbolise good fortune and success in the path ahead.

Serves 6

2 large onions, sliced thinly

6 -8 cloves of garlic, minced

150 g canned chickpeas, rinsed

150 g canned red kidney beans, rinsed

300g canned lentils, rinsed

2 tsp turmeric

A bunch each fresh Parsley, fresh coriander, fresh chives and fresh mint, stocks removed and washed.

300g baby spinach

70g Persian rice noodles or fettuccine

7 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 Tbsp flour

Vegetable oil, Salt and pepper to taste,
Garnish: 1 large red onion, 2 tablespoon of dried mint and ½ cup of liquid whey or sour cream

Rough chop all the herbs but spinach.

Use a large pot and sauté onions and garlic in it until translucent. Add turmeric and sauté a further one minute.

Add stock and herbs and cook for ½ hour on low temperature.

Add all the beans. Stir the pot every so often during the cooking process.

Break off noodles in 3 sections and add to the pot.

Add spinach in two batches.

Cook covered on low for another ½ hour. Make sure to stir the pot twice.

Place flour in a small bowl. Take 3 tablespoons of the liquid from the soup and add to the flour. Mix well until there are no lumps. Add it to the soup.

Adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper.

Cook for another ½ hour longer on a very low heat. Stir the pot every so often.

For the garnish slice onion thinly and caramelise until golden. Add dried mint and allow onions to crisp up.

Place soup in a bowl, add a pinch of fried onion and mint in the centre along with a few dollops of liquid whey or sour cream. For best results allow the soup to rest for at least 2 hours or you can make it a day before.