This Persian Beef Stew known as Ghormeh Sabzi is something I grew up eating almost every week. Filled with fresh herbs and dried limes, the aroma of this stewed, herbaceous dish brings to the house is incredible and nourishing in itself, and instantly presences me to family Shabbat dinners.

The beef and beans bring heartiness, and the herbs and lime bring a unique, unforgettable flavor. Noush-ie-jan!

Top view of a green stew with beef, herbs, and kidney beans.

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.

🌟Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Herbaceous magic: 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.
  • Tender & flavorful: The slower cooking method works to make the beef really tender and flavorful, while also infusing it with the herbs in the stew.
  • Special ingredients: 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 in this recipe

Herbs, scallions, beans, stew meat, dried limes, and other labeled ingredients to make ghormeh sabzi.
  • fenugreek – this herb has carries significant weight in this recipe. It has a distinct flavor that does not have a substitute. You can use fresh or dried, 1 bunch fresh or 1 tablespoon of dried fenugreek.
  • beef – you can use any stew beef, but preferably shoulder.
  • herbs – use fresh, not dried.
  • dried limes – You can buy dried limes or at your local Middle-Eastern market. There is no good substitute for dried limes.
  • turmeric – use the ground, dried spice, not fresh.
  • kidney beans – use canned. Adds an extra boost of protein and texture that is just great.
  • oil – use any flavorless oil in this recipe like canola, grapeseed, avocado seed, sunflower seed, etc.
  • saffron – although optional, the saffron adds an extra push of aroma that finishes this dish beautifully.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

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.

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 actually eat the limes after the dish is cooked. They are there to add flavor during the cooking process.

👩‍🍳How to Make This Recipe

Herbs filling up a salad spinner basket.
  • Clean and dry the herbs and scallions ingredients. Remove large and medium stems from the parsley and large stems from the cilantro and fenugreek (if using fresh). Mince them, and thinly slice the scallions.
  • It works great to use a salad spinner.
Chopped greens wilting as they cook in a white pot.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat and cook the herbs for 5-10 minutes until wilted and the water is completely evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Browned stew meat in a large white pot.
  • 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 browned on all sides.
Green stew with dried limes on top in a large, white pot.
  • Add 4 cups hot water, the cooked herbs, washed and drained kidney beans, dried limes (cracked open with a meat mallet), and lemon juice. Bring to boil and reduce to a simmer.
  • Cover and simmer for 90 minutes.

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.

Close up of a green stew with cubes of beef and dried limes in a big pot.

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 love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to.

Green stew in a white pot.
Author: Candice Walker

Ghormeh Sabzi – Persian Herb & Beef Stew with Dried Limes

5 from 31 votes
Print Recipe Save
This Persian Beef Stew known as Ghormeh Sabzi is something I grew up eating almost every week. Filled with fresh herbs and dried limes, the aroma of this stewed, herbaceous dish brings to the house is incredible and nourishing in itself, and instantly presences me to family Shabbat dinners.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Persian
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher
Servings: 6
Calories: 415kcal

Ingredients

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
  • 1/4 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.

Video

Notes

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.
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.

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 1195mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4470IU | Vitamin C: 95.4mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 8.1mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

36 Comments

  2. Quick question …bunches of herbs vary in size from small to large…what do you use in relation to quantity requested in this recipe?

    Reply

    1. Great question, Dawn. The average bunch of parsley weighs 2-3 oz., the average bunch of scallions is 3-4 oz. and has 4-6 scallions, and the average bunch of cilantro is 2-3 oz. For the fenugreek, you will need about 3 tablespoons – 1/4 cup of fresh leaves. If you don’t grow it yourself it’s hard to find, so I recommend just using dried for the feugreek. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    I didn’t think I would be able to make this right because I didn’t find the dried limes and my normal market, but I called around and the Middle Eastern market pretty close by had them. It turned out so delicious and the beef was super tender.

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    I had this once at a friends house so I wanted to try making my own and this recipe did not disappoint! I feel like I recreated it perfectly, thank you for the detailed instructions.

    Reply

  5. I’m going to try this recipe soon. Gourmeh Sabzi was mentioned in a movie that I was watching and I stumbled upon your lovely website when I searched for it. I’ll will be trying Ash Reshteh as well as it looks like the ultimate comfort food. 😉

    I live in the Netherlands and I hope I can find all the right ingredients.

    I will let you know how it worked out.

    Reply

    2. Rutger, if you have Persian Markets you don’t have to cook from fresh, you can also use dried herbs that come in a bag or can, or frozen, already fried herbs. Amazon carries canned and bagged as well as in a jar. Here is a link to the canned type:

      https://amzn.to/3QGkFH4

      Reply
5 from 31 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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