Vegetarian Ghormeh Sabzi
Servings: 2 large servings
Calories: 356kcal
Cost: $1.81 per serving
Ghormeh Sabzi is Iran’s national dish. This sumptuous vegetarian ghormeh sabzi is rich and lush, sour from the dried limes, and packed with flavourful herbs.
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Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stock pot with lid (a 2.5 to 3 quarts pot is the perfect size for 2 servings)
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 6 cups spinach (*can sub with a 6-oz block of frozen spinach)
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup chopped scallions
- 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (*can sub with 1 cup fresh fenugreek leaves; see Note 1)
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup soaked or canned kidney beans (see Note 2)
- 2 dried limes, pierced (see Note 3)
- 1 tsp dried lime powder (*optional)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp MSG (*optional; can sub with 1/2 tsp salt)
- Cooked Basmati Rice (for serving)
Instructions
- Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven on medium heat.
- Sauté chopped onion until aromatic and translucent, starting to brown.
- To the pot, add 6 cups of spinach, 1 cup cilantro, 1 cup parsley, 1 cup scallions, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1 tsp black pepper.
- Sauté until the herbs are looking dry with most of the moisture evaporated. Pour in 1 cup of soaked or canned kidney beans, 2 dried limes, 2 cups of water, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp MSG.
- Cover and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, until the herbs have completely fallen apart and the stew is very dark in colour.
- Turn off the stove. Crumble 2 tbsp of dried fenugreek leaves over the stew.
Notes
- Fenugreek: If using dried fenugreek leaves, wait to add them at the end of cooking (prolonged cooking makes them bitter). If using fresh fenugreek leaves, toss them in at the start and sauté along with the other herbs.
- Beans: In place of canned or pre-cooked beans, you can also use 1/2 cup (90g) of dried kidney beans. Soak them overnight or use your Instant Pot to do a “quick” soak: high pressure for 5 minutes and full natural release. Rinse and drain the beans before proceeding with the recipe.
- Dried limes: Please be careful when piercing the limes! They are very hard and it’s easy for the knife to slip and cut your hand. Wear cut-resistant kitchen gloves, or use a fork instead. Or just leave them un-punctured, a bit of extra flavour is not worth stabbing yourself over.
Nutrition
Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1962mg | Potassium: 1227mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 11058IU | Vitamin C: 83mg | Calcium: 228mg | Iron: 6mg