Tender green beans simmered with tomatoes, spices, and fall-off-the-bone lamb, Khoresh Loobia Sabz is a beloved Persian stew that’s both hearty and comforting. Whether made with lamb, beef, or chicken, this classic dish is a staple in Iranian kitchens and a delicious way to showcase the flavors of Persian home cooking.
Persian food is not just about kabobs. Persian cuisine is also all about the stews or khoresht. Persian stews are typically brimming with vegetables. We have stews featuring herbs (gormeh sabzi), green beans, okra (khoresh bamieh), eggplant (khoresh bademjan) or squash (khoresh kadoo), to name a few.
Khoreshts also use a variety of meats too from beef, lamb, chicken and duck. You can also serve Persian stews without meat. Most, but not all Persian stews are tomato based. Khorsht loobia sabz is one of those tomato based stews.
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Recipe highlights
- Easy: Although it may seem complicated, I break down all the steps to make this stew so that even newbies can confidently prepare this dish.
- Flavor: The tomato base of the stew offers a little tang from the dried limes, while the meat is fall off the bones tender. I also don’t overcook the string beans so they remain firm yet tender.
- Make Ahead: Persian stews tastes even better the next day! In fact, the flavor gets better with each passing day so you can easily make it days ahead of when you want to serve it.
- Versatile: I make this stew with lamb shanks but it can easily be made with beef, chicken or even meatless. I also share more tips and offer substitution for any ingredients you can’t find.
Ingredients you need
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- String beans: You can use fresh or frozen green beans, both work well. I am partial to the thin French string beans and use a frozen bag I find at Trader Joe’s when I don’t feel like cleaning and snipping ends of fresh green beans!
- Lamb shank: I use lamb shanks for this stew, but you can also use beef shanks, boneless beef stew meat or even chicken thighs. Add yellow split peas if you want a vegetarian stew.
- Onion: You can use brown, yellow or white onions.
- Persian dried limes: Limoo Omani offers a unique sour flavor. I use the whole dried lemons in the soup and crush it up for the meat purée. My husband’s family likes it more sour so I typically serve it with ground limoo omani on the side.
- Lemon juice: Persians love the sour flavors. I add both lemon juice and dried Persian limes in this stew. You can use fresh or bottled lemon juice.
- Pantry staples: Extra virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil), beef broth, canned diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
- Seasonings: Dried turmeric, ground cinnamon, kosher salt and ground black pepper
Step-by-step directions
- Sauté the onions. Sauté onions in hot oil until softened. Stir in turmeric.
- Brown the meat. Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper and brown them in batches with the onions.
- Simmer the meat. Return lamb shanks to the pot and stir in beef broth, water and dried limes. Simmer until meat starts to soften and retract from the bone.
- Sauté the beans. Cut string beans to 1-2 inches long. Sauté in hot oil until color starts to darken.
- Finish the stew. Season green beans with turmeric then transfer to the pot with the lamb. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice and cinnamon.
- Simmer. Simmer stew more hour for flavors to meld together.
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Recipe tips and FAQs
All of Persian stews are served over a bed of Persian rice. It is usually white rice, even yellow saffron rice. Sometimes stews are served alongside flavored rice dishes, pollo. But it is usually accompanied with plain white rice or even brown basmati rice.
Along with the rice, Persian stews are served with green salad, a platter of fresh herbs (sabzi khordan), cucumber tomato salad (salad shirazi) and/or yogurt with cucumbers (mast o khiar).
If you like this stew, then you should also try lubia polo. This is a rice dish where the green bean stew is mixed with partially cooked rice, combined in a pot and finished cooking together.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
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.
I have used a variety of green beans to make this stew. I usually use regular fat green beans, but I have also used the thinner French string beans. I have also used frozen green beans, when I can’t find fresh. Do not use canned green beans as they contain less nutrients, more sodium and are mushier than fresh or frozen.
Absolutely! Persian stews taste even better the next day as it allows the flavors to meld together. Make the stew as written the refrigerate for a day or two. Simply reheat and serve with rice.
Absolutely! Use vegetable broth instead of beef and add some yellow split peas for additional protein.
Persian String Bean Stew (Khoresh Loobia Sabz)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- ¾ teaspoon dried turmeric
- 4 large lamb shank
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 4 dried Persian limes
- 2 lb green beans
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat add olive oil. When oil is hot, stir in diced onions. Sauté onions until soft, then stir in turmeric.
- Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Add seasoned lamb shanks to the onions in batches, two at a time.
- Brown lamb shanks evenly on all sides, remove and brown remaining two lamb shanks.
- Return lamb shanks to the pot and stir in beef broth, water and dried limes.
- Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until meat starts to soften and retract from the bone, about 1-1 ½ hours. Rotate the lamb shanks every 30 minutes or so as it cooks.
- Wash and pinch the stems from green beans. Cut beans so that they are 1-2 inches long.
- In a large pan, over medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon oil. Sauté string beans for about 5-7 minutes, until color starts to darken.
- Transfer string beans to the pot with the lamb shanks along with diced tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice and cinnamon.
- Stir to combine everything in the pot and continue to cook one more hour for flavors to meld together.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
where can I find dried limes?
Hi Elyce,
You can find them at middle eastern stores or online. Amazon has them: https://www.amazon.com/Sadaf-Dried-Whole-Lemou-Omani-Family/dp/B01DVLCO3A
Laura
thanks for responding… would it be terrible if I omit it – I am going to make this with beef stew meat~
You can use lemon juice instead. Slightly different flavor, but gives the stew a little tang. Start with a couple tablespoons and see how you like it. You can always add a little more.
Should I use lime juice or lemon juice? Can’t wait to make this (tonight)… I am using beef stew meat… is cooking the beef the same way (time) as the lamb? How does it differ… thanks so much in advance.
You can use either, but I typically use lemon juice more than lime juice.
Laura
thank you
I can tell just from reading the recipe that this will be a delicious dish. The restrained seasoning, the tomatoes and citrus, the rich lamb. Wow! I wish I’d seen this when the giveaway was still happening, because that’s a really nice pan! Congratulations to the winner!
thanks for responding… would it be terrible if I omit it – I am going to make this with beef stew meat~