Arishta (Արիշտա) — Armenian Homemade Noodle Soup

• 300 gall-purpose flour
• 2eggs
• 45 mlwater
• 3 gfine sea salt
• 150 gbrown lentils
• 1.5 llow-sodium vegetable stock
• 1yellow onion (finely diced, about 150 g)
• 30 gunsalted butter
• 15 mlolive oil
• 240 gcooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tspdried mint
• 1 tspAleppo pepper
• 1 gblack pepper (freshly ground)
• 0.25 bunchflat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
• 1lemon (cut into 6 wedges)
• 4lavash bread

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the arishta dough by combining 300 g flour and 3 g salt in a wide bowl, then whisking the 2 eggs with 45 ml water in a separate cup. Pour the egg mixture into the flour and mix with a fork until a shaggy, firm dough forms with no dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.

2. 2

   Turn the dough onto a clean board and knead for 8 minutes, pressing with the heel of your hand until the surface becomes smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with an inverted bowl and rest it for 25 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the noodles roll thin without tearing.

3. 3

   Dust the board with 10 g of the measured rolling flour and roll the dough into a rectangle about 2 mm thick. Dust the top with another 10 g flour, leave it uncovered for 20 minutes, and let the surface dry slightly so the arishta strands separate cleanly after cutting.

4. 4

   Fold the sheet loosely into thirds, using the remaining 10 g flour between folds to prevent sticking. Slice it crosswise into noodles about 4 mm wide, shake the strands open with your fingers, and spread them on a tray while you begin the soup.

5. 5

   Rinse the brown lentils under cold water until the runoff is clear, then place them in a soup pot with 1.5 l low-sodium vegetable stock and 4 g of the soup salt. Bring to a steady boil, reduce to a lively simmer, and cook for 20 minutes until the lentils are nearly tender but not collapsing.

6. 6

   While the lentils cook, warm the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the diced onion. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is golden at the edges, then stir in the tomato paste, dried mint, Aleppo pepper, black pepper, and the remaining 2 g salt for 1 minute.

7. 7

   Scrape the onion mixture into the soup pot and add the cooked chickpeas. Simmer for 5 minutes so the browned butter, mint, and tomato paste season the broth evenly before the handmade noodles go in.

8. 8

   Add the freshly cut arishta noodles to the simmering soup in loose handfuls, stirring gently after each addition to prevent clumping. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the noodles are tender but still springy, and add exactly 120 ml hot water if the soup becomes thicker than a spoonable noodle soup.

9. 9

   Let the soup stand off the heat for 5 minutes so the broth settles around the noodles and legumes. Ladle into warm bowls, scatter with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges and torn lavash, the everyday Armenian table partner that makes the bowl feel complete.