Deliciously Herby Persian Bean Soup with Croutons | Rebel Recipes (2024)

A beautiful soup with lentils, chickpeas, red kidney beans, spinach and mint. Fresh and substantial at the same time. A soup you will want to make again and again.

Have you ever had a dish cooked by someone else that you just had to recreate at home? I was recently staying at a friend’s house and her husband (an incredible cook) had made a batch of this Persian soup packed with these translucent noodles.

We ate some for breakfast the next day. Yes, I know, soup for breakfast–don’t judge–and I immediately fell in love. The combination of fibre packed beans, chickpeas and green spinach perfectly paired with a pinch of spice, lemon and a hit of dried mint was breath-taking and mouth-watering all at the same time.

It was absolutely gorgeous, and I knew right there that I had to recreate this dish at home, so as soon as I walked through the door, I was in the kitchen making a start on re-creating.

I decided to not include the noodles, like he did, as it’s already got so many wonderful ingredients in the soup, I didn’t want those nutrient-dense veggies to get lost.

Traditionally, this soup has natural yogurt stirred in at the end to make it super creamy and luxurious and all that more warming and comforting.

I used coconut yogurt instead as its renowned for adding an extra layer of velvety richness but also imparting some of that coconut nuttiness into the already fragrant broth.

If you’re not that keen on coconut or want to keep the dish to a more traditional recipe, you can use a natural soy yogurt to the same effect.

My friend’s husband also made homemade croutons to float on top, and the crunch of these was definitely what made this dish such a star in my eyes. If you have never made homemade croutons, now is the time to start–they are super simple and super quick, but they add such a different flavour and texture that is almost impossible to describe. You just have to try it for yourself to see what I mean.

Wanting to add my own Rebel Recipes spin to the recipe, I stirred in some fresh spinach and walnut pesto as a last flourish, that I had in my fridge from another recipe (my deliciously grilled mushrooms with pesto which you can read here).

Again, this is optional but if you decide to try it for this recipe, make extra–it’s incredible on top of pizzas and flatbreads or stirred through gnocchi or pasta for a quick earthy yet zingy meal that ticks all the right boxes and created in only a few minutes.

The recipe is super simple to create and because it’s cooked all in one pan, makes the washing up a breeze!

I always make extra portions when creating this recipe because the flavours are even better the next day once they have developed and infuse all the wonderful components, plus it freezes and keeps really well, making it the perfect meal-prepping dish.

Just portion out and freeze in jars or individual portions and thaw overnight in the fridge–it can be kept in the freezer for a few weeks.

And your croutons can also be kept for a few days. Just keep them in an airtight container or bag and store in a cool dry and dark place.

It’s also super adaptable, meaning you can use up any leftover veggies in the fridge or swap out for your favourite ingredients:

• Swap out the chickpeas for butter beans or another white bean variant
• Use curly kale instead of spinach
• Add a swirl of coconut yoghurt or a drizzle of tahini dressing for extra creaminess and luxury
• Use green lentils of green split peas instead of red lentils
• Add a little more extra liquid (stock or water) while cooking to make a more stew based texture, then serve with herbed or spiced rice, saffron works very well, or mashed or boiled potatoes

If you like this recipe, why not give one of my other soup recipes a try…?

My Smokey Red Pepper and Lentil soup is perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons, especially if it’s a little grey outside.

My Creamy Mushroom Soup, which is drizzled with Truffle Oil, is made even more luxurious with the addition of Sourdough Toasts, which are the perfect minor accompaniments to dip and delve into the creamy velvet soup.

And finally, the dish that has been awarded my all-time-favourite, my Moroccan Spiced Lentil and Chickpea Soup a favourite for multiple reasons–you seriously need to try it!