Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 onions
• 2 roughly chopped
• 2 thinly sliced
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 400g tin chickpeas
• drained
• 100g/3½oz small brown lentils
• 400g haricot beans
• drained
• 1 litre/1¾ pint vegetable stock
• 40g/1½oz butter
• 100g/3½oz linguine or Iranian reshtey noodles
• 200g/7oz spinach
• 30g/1oz fresh parsley
• 20g/¾oz fresh coriander
• 15g/½oz fresh mint
• 2 x 250ml/9fl oz tubs soured cream

Directions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat
• and fry the onions for 5 minutes
• or until soft and pale golden in colour. Add the turmeric and garlic and cook for a further 4 minutes.
• Add the chickpeas
• lentils and haricot beans to the onions and pour in the stock. Simmer for 30 minutes
• stirring occasionally.
• Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan over a low heat. Fry the sliced onions for 20 minutes
• stirring occasionally
• until they are deeply caramelised.
• When the beans have simmered for 30 minutes
• add the noodles to the pot and cook for a further 10 minutes.
• Wilt the spinach in a pan with a little water for 2 minutes
• drain and squeeze as much liquid out as you can. Roughly chop the spinach on a board
• along with the parsley
• coriander and mint.
• Stir the spinach and herbs into the noodles and beans. Fold in the soured cream and serve with the caramelised onions on top.