Persian green bean stew with lamb shanks (khoresht loobia sabz) is a staple dish in the Persian household, combining string beans and tomatoes with beef, lamb or chicken. Sponsored by Wolf Gourmet.
Cooking is really an art form. Some folks have a natural talent for blending flavors, while others need to cultivate their skills over time and with practice. I have always enjoyed cooking and have never been very intimated in the kitchen.
When I was single and working in Miami, the only way I could eat Persian food was to make it myself. Those initial attempts at Persian stews did not compare with my mother or grandmother’s cooking. But, I was rather pleased with myself, all the same.
When I married a Persian, I became more determined to better my cooking skills in the kitchen. I watched my mother-in-law cook family favorites and quizzed my mother, aunt and uncle about recipes. Some attempts made it straight to the trash, and other times beginners luck was on my side.
There was a lot of growing pains as I cooked more and added more dishes to my recipe repertoire, especially for Persian dishes. One staple dish, is Persian green bean stew with lamb shanks (Khorest Loobia Sabz).
Why this recipe is so awesome
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, green beans, okra, eggplant or squash, 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, if you are vegetarian. Most, but not all Persian stews are tomato based. Khorshteh loobia sabz is one of those tomato based stews.
In this dish, fresh string beans are the focus in this dish. And like any Persian stew, it all starts with browning onions and turmeric.
For this version of khoresht lubia sabz, I chose to use lamb shanks instead of beef. You will need to brown the shanks first, then add the broth and water and let the shanks slowly braise and work their magic. When the stew is done, the lamb will be fall-off-the-bones-tender!
If you are familiar with Persian foods, then you probably heard of loobia pollo. This is a rice dish where the green bean stew is mixed with partially cooked rice, combined in a pot and finished cooking together.
Ingredients you need
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- Green beans: You can use fresh or frozen string 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
1. In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat add olive oil and sauté the onions. When the onions soften, about 5-7 minutes, stir in turmeric.
2. Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Add seasoned lamb shanks to the onions in batches, two at a time, browning the shanks evenly on all sides.
3. 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.
4. 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 and sauté string beans for about 5-7 minutes, until color starts to darken.
You can cut them as I did, or keep them long. Again, it is up to personal preference. Persians usually eat with a fork and spoon, so it is easier to scoop up string beans that are cut up.
5. Season green beans with turmeric then transfer to the pot with the lamb shanks along with diced tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice and cinnamon.
6. Stir to combine everything in the pot and continue to cook one more hour for flavors to meld together.
Recipe tips and FAQs
All of Persian stews are served over a bed of basmati 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).
I have used a variety of green beans in making khorshteh loobia sabz. 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.
Persian Green Bean Stew with Lamb Shanks (Khoresht Loobia Sabz)
Persian green bean stew with lamb shanks (khoresht loobia sabz) is a staple dish in the Persian household, combining string beans and tomatoes with beef, lamb or chicken.
Ingredients
- 3 TBS 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 TBS tomato paste
- 3 TBS 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 TBS 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
Serve over a bed of basmati rice. Persian stews taste even better the next day. The longer it cooks at low temperature, the softer the meat will become. You can also freeze the stew and eat another day!
Cooking Tips: You can substitute the lamb shanks with 2-pounds of boneless beef stew meat. You can use frozen string beans instead of fresh. They will take less time to cook, so add towards the last 20-30 minutes of cooking time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 307Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 547mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 9gSugar: 12gProtein: 21g
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
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Disclosure: I received a 10-piece cookware set from Wolf Gourmet to review. I did not receive a stipend for this post. The story I have written is all true, and the opinions are truly mine. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t blog about it.
I made this and it is FABULOUS–thanks for ALWAYS posting such gorgeous food photos.
I see no comments from folks who have actually prepared and tasted this recipe.
Can you PLEASE publish comments on the actual dish prepared, eaten and enjoyed or hated.
I’m not interested in who met whom or when the pan arrived. Just the opinion of the tasted recipe.
Hi Ray, Many of the comments on this particular post was for the giveaway I was running with Wolf Gourmet. Human nature being what it is, people either don’t comment or choose to be critical when they do comment online. Does everyone leave a review for everything they’ve purchased on Amazon? What I can tell you is that I get EMAILS from my readers telling me how much they love my blog and my recipes — especially my Persian recipes. As far as this stew is concerned, the base is tomato sauce and it has a little tang to it… Read more »
looks fabulous
Great recipe idea for our next meal. Great giveaway
New subscriber – I generally cook what I know my husband will eat. He was a southern Iowa farm boy and loves his red meat and potatoes. I will definitely try this recipe and see if I can’t broaden his horizons a bit. It does look amazing
This looks delicious!
What a beautiful pan, that would make my homemade macaroni and cheese much easier. From cook top to oven without an extra dirty dish!
Definitely going to try this recipe this week! Also love that pan…could totally use some new cookware.
I wish I had this for Easter dinner! Thanks for the giveaway.
I subscribed with the email address attached to this comment.
The pan is large enough to cook food for any sized family. We cook 90% of our meals on the stove top.
Hi David!
You are the winner of my Wolf Gourmet giveaway! Congratulations! Be sure to email me your address and phone number so I can pass your information on to Wolf. Thank you again for reading my blog!
Laura
Thank you very much!! I just sent you an email.
I just wanted to let you know that the pan arrived in the mail today.
Thanks again
David
I am a new subscriber and I would love to make this dish for my family!
This looks absolutely mouthwatering! I’d love to curl up with a big helping of this and a great book!
I’ve always been intimidated by lamb and have NEVER even tried to make it, but you have inspired me. This looks delicious!
I adore string bean stew! I want the stew AND the pot!
I am drawn to your lamb recipe more than to the pan, although I don’t mind winning it:) I’ve tried this dish with green beans and beef and lamb, but those were just cubes of meat, not lamb shanks. Your version sounds so good! Saving the recipe. It must go great with rice pilafs. PS: I am already a long-time subscriber to your beautiful blog.
You got me at lamb shanks and green beans. I’m in!
As always, your pictures are just stunning! I’d be so happy to have a seat at your table. Everything always looks so good! Our markets don’t carry Lamb, but I will have to see if we can find it nearby. My boys would love this recipe.
I love Family Spice! Always can find great recipes and tips.
I LOVE lamb and my family does also. I’ve just started experimenting with cooking other cuts of lamb besides the chops and this one looks like one my family will enjoy; especially with all the green beans! Thanks for posting this recipe I just subscribe to your blog a few days ago and I’m very pleased thus far!
This is just beautiful! Lamb is one of my favorite foods to make. (I”m in shock that you once made meals that had to be trashed. I’ve made a few that were disappointing, but I don’t remember having to toss any.)
Dried limes? Now you have me curious. Do you dry them yourself or purchase them dried?
I love good quality cookware and am embarrassed to admit how many pieces/sets I have. The only cookware I dislike is cast iron – not because it isn’t good, but because I can’t keep it from rusting.