Ghormeh sabzi is defined by its balance of deeply savory, intensely herbaceous, and lifted by the tang of dried limes. The cooked herbs melt into the stew, creating a rich, almost velvety base for tender beef and soft beans. Each bite carries a brightness that keeps you coming back for more.
I grew up with my mom and grandmother making this dish almost every Friday night, the kitchen filling with its unmistakable aroma as it simmered for hours. While you’ll often see recipes online that include spinach as a filler, I make it the way my ancestors did, using only herbs as the greens.
The word “sabzi” means greens, and we use large quantities of fresh herbs to make this Persian recipe earn its name: parsley, scallions, fenugreek, and cilantro. Gourmeh sabzi means “fried greens” because we cook the herbs in oil until wilted, similar to how you sautee spinach.
This stew is loaded with incredible, fresh herbs: parsley, scallions, fenugreek, and cilantro. It’s packed with flavor and is a great, no-fuss, slow simmer stew. Other herb-packed dishes are kuku sabzi, an herb-filled frittata, and sabzi polo, herbed rice.
🧾Ingredients in this recipe
Dried limes are often used in Persian cooking to add a sour flavor to soups and stews. You crack the dried lime to release the aroma and flavor and pop them into whatever you are cooking that needs something a little sour.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳How to Make This Recipe
Candice Recommends
Before serving, grind and steep the saffron in 1 tablespoon of hot water, add to the stew, and mix. Although this step is option, it adds a subtle aroma that takes the dish to another level.
✂ Shortcut
You can find pre-made frozen fried greens aka “ghormeh sabzi” at a Middle-Eastern market in the freezer section. Most people I talk to swear by this shortcut because it takes so much time to prep the herbs in this recipe and most Persian homes eat this dish often. The frozen shortcut also makes it easy to make this dish all year round.
❄️How to Freeze Ghormeh Sabzi
Gourmeh Sabzi freezes very well. The best way to freeze it is in a freezer bag, or use a silicone tray. These are the trays I use to freeze my Persian stews, stocks, and more.
Traditional Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)
Ingredients
- 5 bunches Italian parsley large stems removed
- 20 scallions
- 2 bunches cilantro including stems
- 1 bunch fenugreek or 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 lb. stew meat cow shoulder, neck, or chuck, 1-1 1/2 inch cubes
- 16 oz. can red kidney beans washed and drained
- 5 dried limes cracked open
- 1 onion diced
- 1 lemon juiced
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 4 tbsp flavorless oil like canola, split into 2+2
- 1 pinch saffron optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Clean and dry the herbs and scallions ingredients. Chop them very small and sautee in 2 tbsp canola oil for 5-10 minutes on medium-high heat until wilted like sauteed greens. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the other 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and cook the onion until translucent over medium-high heat.
- Add the meat. Season with turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cook until just browned on all sides.
- Add 4 cups hot water, the cooked herbs, washed and drained kidney beans, dried limes, and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Simmer for 90 minutes.
- Optional: Before serving, grind and steep the saffron in 1 tbsp of hot water, add to the stew, and mix.
- Serve with basmati rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!🥘 More Persian Stew Recipes
Here are my favorite stews other than this ghormeh sabzi, and don’t forget to check out all my Persian recipes on the blog.
I have tried a few different recipes. This is a fantastically delicious one. I do like to eat every piece of the dried lime.
Every Ghormeh Sabzi recipe I have looked at has SPINACH! Did you forget to add that to the recipe? (I am not Persian, but love to make this).
Hi Donna, nobody in my family makes it with spinach, and it isn’t a traditional addition, but more of a modern addition. Many English‑language recipes fold spinach into the herb mix to replicate volume or texture, especially when fenugreek or chives are hard to find.
I am a Swedish American married to a Persian man for 42 years. He will not eat stew meat, poultry, lamb or fish (I know) so I’ve had to adapt all my Persian recipes to use ground beef. I make this dish 3-4 times a month making meatballs instead of stew meat and your recipe is the closest to his Mother’s I have found. I will try the addition of saffron, I think it will make it even tastier. Thanks for your recipes, you help me to be more authentic in my Persian cooking.
If my mom ever made ghormeh sabzi like this, the chance of dying from food poisoning would be 0.01%—but the chance of my dad finishing her off would be a solid 100%. As a proud Kurd from Iran, I truly appreciate the effort you’ve put in… but looking at this feels like culinary torture. Respectfully laughing through the pain 🤣
I am making this now do you simmer covered or uncovered
Covered. If there is too much liquid toward the end, you can remove the lid and continue to simmer to evaporate it out. Enjoy!