Ghormeh Sabzi – Persian Herb Stew

Ghormeh sabzi is a classic Persian stew made with fresh green herbs like parsley, cilantro, fenugreek and scallions. It is an aromatic and delicious stew served with fluffy Persian rice.

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There are certain foods and aromas that evoke strong childhood memories for me. Being Persian, even half Persian, meant food was a big part of our family. We ate dinner together every night.

When it came to extended family, those gatherings involved tables overflowing with food. Back in Iran, we would meet at my grandparents’ apartment for weekly family meals. As I walked up the stairs and down the hallway, I could smell my favorite stew, khoresteh ghormeh sabzi.

And when I make this stew for my family, the smell takes me back to my grandmother’s weekly dinners.

Laura’s tips

Why this recipe works

• Flavor: Ghormeh Sabzi is a staple stew in most Persian households. It is traditionally made with parsley, cilantro, fenugreek and green onions. It’s the combination and quantities of each of these herbs that makes every version unique the cook preparing it. Using a variety of fresh herbs versus dried takes this stew to a whole new level!
• Texture: Everything gets chopped up nicely in the food processor, giving the stew a smooth but not runny texture. Although it is very possible to chop the herbs by hand, I have done it, it will take MUCH longer than whirling it through the handy food processor.
• Make Ahead: Although not a terribly complicated meal, ghormeh sabzi is a bit labor intensive. Most of the work is spent washing and cleaning the herbs. Luckily, this stew tastes even better the next day. In fact, the flavor gets better with each passing day.
• Versatile: You can make this traditionally over the stove or in the instant pot. It can be made with boneless beef stew meat or both lamb and beef shanks. I also share how you can make this stew meatless.

Ingredients you need

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• Stew meat: You can prepare this stew with beef or lamb shanks. But here in the US, beef stew meat is more available and affordable. I like to cut up my own stew meat from London Broil or a Chuck Roast. For a vegetarian version, a dear friend of mine uses baby portobello mushrooms.
• All purpose flour: I like to add a little flour to the stew so it will thicken the juice a little bit. This is totally optional and can be omitted if you do not want to use it.
• Onions: I use regular yellow onions, but you can also use white onions.
• Beef broth: Traditionally, only water is added to the stew. But I like to add beef broth for more flavor. You can also use vegetable broth.
• Fresh herbs: This stew uses fresh parsley, cilantro and green onions.
• Other greens: I also like to add some frozen spinach (which is chopped and cleaned for me!) to the stew. I have also added fresh kale, with the stems removed. You can also skip this and just add an extra bunch parsley instead.
• Fenugreek: This is the only herb that I used dried, because I cannot found fresh fenugreek here in the US.
• Persian dried limes: Limoo Omani offers a very unique sour flavor. Persians use these dried limes whole in our soups and stews. As it cooks, the lime softens. Many love to eat these cooked limes, breaking it up on their plate. I personally, do not eat them and discard them after the stew is done cooking.
• Lemon juice: For a different dimension of sour, I add some lemon juice as well.
• Red kidney beans: I love using large kidney beans in this stew. You can also use the small variety. Some people use pinto beans instead. I prefer the convenience of canned beans, but you can totally used dried beans, just be sure to prepare them prior to making the stew.
• Extra virgin olive oil: I sauté everything with extra virgin olive oil. You can use any vegetable oil.
• Turmeric: Dried turmeric is a staple spice in the Persian kitchen.
• Pantry staples: Salt and pepper

Step-by-step directions

1. Prep the meat. Combine the stew meat, turmeric, salt, pepper and flour (optional). You want the meat evenly coated with the flour and seasonings.
2. Cook the onions. Sauté the diced onions in olive oil until they start to to turn translucent. Stir in turmeric and salt and cook until the color deepens. Some people cook the onions until caramelized.
3. Add the meat. Raise heat back to high and when onions and oil are crackling, add the seasoned meat and brown it on all sides.
4. Add liquids. Once browned, stir in beef broth. Scrape bits that have browned on the bottom of the pot and bring broth to boil, then reduce to low heat. Carefully cut slits into dried limes and add to the pot. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Once limes have softened, you can press them flat with your wooden spoon to remove the air inside.

5. Prep the herbs. While meat is simmering, remove stems, especially the thick woody ones, from parsley, cilantro and kale (if using). Wash, drain and spin green vegetables dry. A salad spinner works great with this step. Once dried, chop vegetables in batches using a food processor with a metal blade.
6. Fry the veggies. Using a large frying pan, sauté the chopped green onions and the processed herbs in batches. When the vegetables turn dark green, add some of the dried fenugreek and cook until incorporated.

7. Add greens to the stew. Transfer mixture the pot with the stew meat then continue to sauté the rest of the herbs and greens. Stir in water and lemon juice and simmer the stew for at least an hour or two.

The longer the stew cooks, the more fragrant and flavorful your stew will be. I usually cook it for an hour, cool it and refrigerate it overnight. Then the next day, I reheat it and cook it for another hour.

8. Add beans. Drain liquid from canned red kidney beans and soak in a bowl of water for 2 hours. This step is optional. By soaking the canned beans in water, you reduce the gassy side effects of the beans. Seriously, life changing tip! Drain beans, stir in with the stew and cook for one more hour.

Expert tips and recipe FAQs

Other greens. I started adding other green vegetables to my gormeh sabzi after I had kids. Wanting to get them to eat more greens, I began adding spinach to the stew. No one noticed the difference.

Since I always had frozen spinach in the freezer, it was easy to add and it became a staple ingredient. I have recently started adding kale (kalam-e peech) to my stew and again, no one noticed a difference.

Limoo amani. The sourness of the stew comes from lemon juice as well as dried Persian limes (those shriveled up brown balls pictured below). You can just use lemon juice, but the flavor of the dried limes (limoo amani) is very distinct and used in almost all of Persian stews.

I usually pierce each lime with a sharp knife before adding them to the stew, to help them soak up the stew’s juices more quickly. You can also use ground limoo omani, just use sparingly as a little goes a long way.

Fresh is best. When cleaning the herbs, I usually trim off the stems for the parsley. For the cilantro, I’m not as picky about the stems, but I definitely remove the fat woody ones. You can save those stems in the freezer and use them for making stock.

Today at middle eastern grocery stores, you can find dried herb packets to make this dish. Some people make their own dried herb combinations, but to be honest, the flavor and texture is different compared to using fresh herbs.

My personal preference? Fresh herbs are best. The only dried herb I use in this dish is fenugreek, because it is very difficult finding fresh fenugreek here in the US.

Serving. This delicious stew is usually served over a bed of Persian rice. You can also serve with Shirazi salad or some mast o khiar on the side. I personally prefer to enjoy a huge helping of stew with a little bit of rice and some radishes on the side.

OMG I’m drooling just thinking about it.

Got an Instant Pot? You can also make gormeh sabzi in the Instant Pot! I’ve got the full directions for instant pot ghormeh sabzi here. I even have a video.

Ghormeh Sabzi – Persian Herb Stew

Laura Bashar | Family Spice

Ghormeh sabzi is a classic Persian stew made with fresh green herbs like parsley, cilantro, fenugreek and scallions. It is an aromatic and delicious stew served with fluffy Persian rice.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 3 hours hrs

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine Persian

Servings 10

Calories 560 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 lb stew meat 1-inch cubes
• 3 teaspoon turmeric divided
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoon all purpose flour optional
• 9 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil divided
• 3 cups diced onions
• 2 cups beef broth
• 6 small dried Persian limes
• 26 oz fresh parsley approximately 6 big bunches
• 10 oz fresh cilantro approximately 4 bunches
• 9 oz fresh kale 7 oz kale without stems
• ½ cup dried fenugreek divided
• 8 oz fresh green onions approximately 2 bunches
• 4 cups water
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 20- ounces canned red kidney beans

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Instructions

 

• In a large bowl mix together stew meat, 2 teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoon flour (optional).
• In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat add 3 tablespoon olive oil and diced onions.
• Cook until onions start to soften, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until translucent, just before caramelizing.
• Stir in 1 teaspoon turmeric and ¼ teaspoon salt with the onions.
• Raise heat back to high and when onions and oil are crackling, brown seasoned stew meat on all sides. Once browned, stir in beef broth.
• Scrape bits that have browned on the bottom of the pot and bring broth to boil, then reduce to low heat.
• Cut slits into dried limes and add to the pot, cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour. Once limes have softened, you can press them flat with your wooden spoon to remove the air inside.
• While meat is cooking, remove stems, especially the thick woody ones, from parsley, cilantro and kale.
• Wash, drain and spin green vegetables dry. A salad spinner works great with this step.
• Once dried, chop vegetables in batches using a food processor with a metal blade.
• Using a large non-stick frying pan, over medium-high heat add 2 tablespoon olive oil.
• Sauté half of the green vegetables in the hot oil, stirring in fenugreek.
• Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until vegetables are dark green. Transfer to the pot with the stew meat.
• Add 2 tablespoon olive oil to the hot frying pan and sauté the second half of green vegetables in the hot oil, stirring in ¼ cup fenugreek.
• Again, cook until vegetables are dark green. Transfer to the pot with the stew meat.
• Clean and dice, both green and white parts of green onions.
• Add 2 TBS oil to the hot frying pan and sauté the green onions in the hot oil until onions are lightly browned and greens are dark. Transfer to the pot with the stew meat.
• Stir in 4 cups water and ¼ cup lemon juice the stew.
• Cover pot, reduce heat of stew to low and cook for at least an hour or two. The longer the stew cooks, the more fragrant and flavorful your stew will be. Ideally, you can serve the stew the next day.
• Drain liquid from canned red kidney beans and soak in a bowl of water for 2 hours. This step is optional. By soaking the canned beans in water, you reduce the gassy side effects of eating beans.
• Drain beans, stir in with the stew and cook for one more hour.
• Serve with Persian rice.

Notes

My family likes our stews with a lot meat in it. Most people serve it with less meat, whether by choice or because of cost. You can reduce the meat to 2-pounds.

You can use large or small red kidney beans, as well as pinto beans.

Instead of kale, I like to use frozen chopped spinach. You can also use fresh spinach. I prefer frozen since all the cleaning and chopping is done for me! You can also omit both of these and substitute with an extra bunch of parsley instead.

You can make this stew several days before serving it. In fact, it tastes better this way and most people do not serve ghormeh sabzi the same day they make it! You can also freeze leftovers.

For a vegetarian option, use vegetable broth instead of beef. Instead of stew meat, a vegan friend of mine uses mini portobello mushrooms instead. It is actually very tasty!

You can use already cut stew meat, but I prefer to cut my own. I use London Broil or Chuck Roast. You can also use lamb or beef shanks, as the bones add terrific flavor to the stew.

TO STORE: Store any leftover stew in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 560kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 57gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 522mgFiber: 12gSugar: 5g

Keyword ghormeh sabzi, gormeh sabzi, khoreshteh ghormeh sabzi

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