Filled with fresh herbs and dried limes, this Persian Beef Stew known as Ghormeh Sabzi is something I grew up eating almost every week. The aroma 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 a 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 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.
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🌟Why you'll love this recipe
🧾Ingredients in this recipe
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
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.
📋Recipe 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.
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.
🍍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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Ghormeh Sabzi - Persian Herb & Beef Stew with Dried Limes
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 5 bunches Italian parsley large stems removed
- 20 scallions
- 2 bunches cilantro including stems
- 1 bunch fenugreek or 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 lb. stew meat cow shoulder, neck, or chuck, 1-1 ½ inch cubes
- 16 oz. can red kidney beans washed and drained
- 5 dried limes cracked open
- 1 onion diced
- 1 lemon juiced
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 tablespoon 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 tablespoon 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 tablespoon of hot water, add to the stew, and mix.
- Serve with basmati rice.
Dawn E
I am making this now do you simmer covered or uncovered
Candice
Covered. If there is too much liquid toward the end, you can remove the lid and continue to simmer to evaporate it out. Enjoy!
Dawn E
Quick question ...bunches of herbs vary in size from small to large...what do you use in relation to quantity requested in this recipe?
Candice
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!
Jane
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.
Candice
So glad you found them, Jane... the recipe just isn't the same without them! And I'm glad to hear you loved the recipe... enjoy!
Salima Benkhalti
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.
Candice
I'm so glad you liked it, Salima, and that it came out perfectly... such a compliment! Thank you for taking the time to share.
Rutger
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.
Candice
Thank you for sharing, Rutger, and welcome! Can't wait to hear what you think.
TorieT
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
Philip Groves
by dried limes are you meaning Black Limes ?, recently I was given some and would like to try them
Candice
Hi Philip. Yes, you can use black limes. They are another name for dried limes or limoo amani.
Sue
Unreal! Uniquely sour flavor, we could not stop slurping the broth!
Candice
So glad you liked it, Sue! It's one of my favorites. Enjoy!