This Persian beef stew, known as Ghormeh Sabzi, is a dish I grew up eating almost every week. Filled with fresh herbs and dried limes, its rich aroma instantly transports me to family dinners. This foolproof recipe ensures tender meat, fragrant herbs, and the perfect tangy flavor. Learn how to make this authentic Persian herb stew and bring a taste of tradition to your table.
The beef and beans bring heartiness, and the herbs and lime bring a unique, unforgettable flavor. Noush-ie-jan!
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
The magic element is really the dried limes: they add a subtle sour taste to the stew that takes it to the next level. A little goes a long way though with these!
Dried limes are small limes that get boiled in a salt brine and left to dry until they are hard, and are about the size of a golf ball.
The taste dried limes bring is not comparable to other ingredients, and I would not recommend substituting anything in place of the dried limes.
They 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.
I don’t usually eat the limes after the dish is cooked (well, I’ll eat a few small bites). They are moreso there to add flavor during the cooking process.
👩🍳How to Make This Recipe
Serve with steamed basmati rice.
Pro Tip: Adding Saffron
Optional: Before serving, grind and steep the saffron in 1 tablespoon of hot water, add to the stew, and mix.
✂ 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.
🍍Related 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.
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Traditional Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)
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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.
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!