Filled with fresh herbs and dried limes, this Persian Beef Stew is something I grew up eating almost every week. The aroma this dish brings to the house is incredible and nourishing in itself, and instantly presences us to family Shabbat dinners. Noush-ie-jan!
The word "sabzi" means greens, and we use large quantities of fresh herbs to make this stew earn it's 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.
Here is a resource for transliterated farsi cooking terms so you can make your family recipes without the language barrier getting in the way.
Why You Should Make this Recipe
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.
The slower cooking method works to make the beef really tender and flavorful, while also infusing it with the herbs in the stew.
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!
Ingredients & Shortcuts
fenugreek - this herb has carries significant weight in this recipe. It has a distinct flavor that does not have a substitute. Trust me, I've tried to find one. If you cannot find fenugreek, the recipe is still delicious, just not traditional.
beef - you can use any stew beef including chuck or shoulder.
Dried Limes
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.
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 actually eat the limes after the dish is cooked. They are there to add flavor during the cooking process.
You can buy dried limes on Amazon (link opens in new tab).
Shortcut
You can find pre-made frozen fried greens aka "ghormeh sabzi" at your local Middle-Eastern market. 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 Make this Recipe
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 tbsp canola 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 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 2 hours.
Shop dried limes on Amazon (link opens in new tab).
Optional: Before serving, steep the saffron in 1 tbsp of hot water, add to the stew, and mix.
Serve ghormeh sabzi with Persian steamed basmati rice.
Ghormeh Sabzi FAQs
Gourmeh Sabzi freezes very, very well. You can freeze it in a freezer bag, or use a silicone tray. These are the trays I use to freeze my Persian stews, stocks, and more (Amazon link opens in new tab).
Ghormeh sabzi literally translates to "fried greens" and is the name of a popular Iranian stew that uses a large amount of fresh herbs that are sauteed in oil.
Yes. It doesn't contain any gluten.
More Stews
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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Gourmeh Sabzi
Ingredients
Sabzi
- 5 bunches Italian parsley
- 20 scallions
- 2 bunches cilantro
- 1 bunch fenugreek or 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
Ingredients
- 2 lb. cow shoulder, neak, 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
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 4 tbsp canola oil split into 2+2
- Optional: a few strings of saffron
- 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 tbsp canola 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 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 2 hours.
- Optional: Before serving, steep the saffron in 1 tbsp of hot water, add to the stew, and mix.
- Serve with basmati rice.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in May of 2018, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, and tips September of 2020.
About to make this recipe tomorrow! How much of the frozen herbs do you use to replace the fresh? I bought 2- 10oz containers because I wasn't sure but from the reviews I'm 100% sure I'll be making this again.
When I use frozen, the ones I buy are usually 12 oz., but one of your 10 oz. containers should work just fine. Let me know how it goes!
Because I like cilantro, I can see me liking this dish. Thank you for sharing your flavors with us.
Can't wait to see what you think when you give it a try, Nicole!
I have recently visited a Persian restaurant for the first time and I realized how little I know about Persian cuisine. I loved what I got to eat - I am a big saffron person and I just realized I definitely need to get more into this cuisine which is still pretty obscure to me. So I was excited to stumble upon your post and learn about a new recipe. And of course the saffron is not missing - hehehe love that!
I'm so glad to hear it, Eva! Persian food is definitely something special. I have some of my favorite recipes on the blog... so be sure to try them out! Here is the one I've been enjoying lately, fesenjoon.
How absolutely divine! This is such a comforting meal...I could picture this with some fresh warm naan and oh my goodness, I'd be in heaven! Love the flavors of this dish!
So, so good with some fresh, warm bread like naan! Thank you so much, Tammy 🙂
I had never tried this dish but it was so delicious! I love all the herbal flavors, definitely need to make it again ASAP!
That makes me so happy to hear, Veronika! It's a good one to make extra and keep in the freezer because of all the herb prep 🙂
What a flavorful stew recipe this is. Love the combination of ingredients in this dish. Thanks for sharing.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Kushigalu!
I loved reading your post and once I saw how really easy the soup is to make I had to give it a go. We loved it. We had a bit left over and gave some to our son for lunch. He wants me to make the soup again when he comes over. The recipe is a keeper.
That makes me so, so happy to hear, Marisa! I'm glad you all loved it.
I have never tried Persion Beef Stew before but this just was incredible! I love the flavors in this!
That makes me so happy to hear, Leslie!
Love to know about dried limes. Thanks for sharing it! And this stew is filled with full of flavor great for the upcoming season!
Thank you so much, Uma!
I absolutely LOVE gourmeh sabzi, but with little to no authentic Persian restaurants around here, I'm out of luck. So happy I can make it on my own with this amazing recipe.
That makes me so happy to hear, Marta... it's one of those dishes that have a flavor you just can't compare to others.
This is such a fantastic post, Candice! I learned a TON, and really appreciated all the little tips along the way, plus the handy links to products I'll need and even the link to farsi cooking terms. Great shortcut suggestion on the pre-made frozen "ghormeh sabzi" - I am all about shortcuts that work well, that's for sure! Oh - and those freezing trays are absolute genius - I've never seen them before and they're awesome! Super excited that this recipe freezes well, as I love making delicious recipes to enjoy one night, then slipping extra in the freezer to save for later. Thanks bunches - this is so great!
This makes me so, so happy to hear, Shelley... thank you for taking the time to share this with me. I'm glad you found it helpful, and the freezing trays are something I use with so many of my recipes. Worth having on hand! Thanks again 🙂