Vegan Veggie Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Stew of Greens)
Ghormeh Sabzi is the most famous Persian stew, traditionally made with a mixture of greens, kidney beans and stew meat, served over rice. My version is plant-based vegan. Some make it with all fresh greens and herbs, some make it with a mixture of dried and frozen greens... Either way it's deliciously fragrant, aromatic, naturally rich with nutrients and simply medicinal.
My grandmother used to use all fresh greens when making her Ghormeh Sabzi. I remember one day when I was little, we went to the grocery store. She asked the produce department for 50 pounds of parsley. The guy working in produce said, "Fifteen, like one five?" My grandmother just smiled and said "No, fifty. Five Zero." (in her amazingly beautiful Persian accent).
When I make my version of Ghormeh Sabzi, I keep the meat out and it's just as good! Sometimes I add mushrooms and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I add tofu for extra protein which reminds me of saag paneer. I mix fresh, frozen and dried greens together because I like the dynamic layers of flavor the mix provides. I find when it's all fresh greens, the stew becomes too watery unless you put about a half bottle of olive oil to thicken, which I also avoid adding. Using frozen spinach also helps thicken the stew in addition to amping up nutrient density. I go heavy on the dried fenugreek which amps up the aromatic exotic flavor and depth, along with providing many medicinal benefits. Fenugreek is an anti-inflammatory, great to treat menstrual cramps, stimulate milk during breastfeeding, and is also used topically for many conditions you can read more on HERE.
This is one of my all time favorite Persian dishes, and I hope you enjoy it too :)
Vegan Veggie Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Stew of Greens)
By Sarah Farsh December 17, 2012
- 1 sweet yellow onions, diced
- 1/2-1 cups dried sabzi (dehydrated fenugreek herbs - I use Peacock brand)
- 1-2 bags chopped, frozen spinach (depending how much you want to make)
- 2 cups fresh mixed greens (some or mix of cilantro, spinach, parsley, and or celery), finely chopped
- 1 carton of good veggie broth (splashes as needed to deglaze pan without oil.)
- Or water or non-vegans can also use beef broth
- optional: 1 or 2 cups of exotic mushrooms chopped - Maitake or Chanterelle work great
- traditional non-vegan version use about 1lb cubed stew meat
- 1-2 15oz can red kidney beans, with the bean juice (you can add more beans if you like, sometimes I use white kidney beans when I'm out of the red)
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 5 dried limes (omani, poked holes with a fork or knife so juices release while cooking)
- 2-3 tsp turmeric
- 2-3 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (optional)
- or 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp Bragg's liquid amino acid, or kosher salt (more or less to taste)
- fresh black pepper - to taste (Persians like it peppery)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or very good olive oil (optional, I make with oil when I have company, and without when I'm making it for myself. My Grandmother's traditional recipe used about 1 cup of olive oil so anything less is a win.)
In a large stew pot, dry sauté onions (or fry, if using oil). Splash veggie stock as needed to keep onions from sticking to pot. Add in in dried sabzi and frozen spinach - sauté for about 5min. Add in mixed fresh greens and optional mushrooms, sauté until greens cook down significantly (about 10min). Add turmeric, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon and pomegranate molasses. Using a fork, poke holes into dried lemons before adding them into the pot. *The dried limes are just for flavor and you can squeeze the juice out of them after they soften up for extra flavor. Add the rest of the veggie broth container, and about 3 cups of water. Add more or less water depending how soupy you want it. Add in 1-2 cans of beans, with their juice and stew for 15 - 20 more minutes. This stew tastes even better the next day after everything marinates together. Add optional olive oil after you cook the stew and the stew stops boiling not to burn the oil and add nice flavor. Serve with basmati rice, cauliflower rice or straight up and enjoy.
Sabzi is my favorite!! yum xoxo
ReplyDeleteI think I am going to try to make this for Sam's family when im in oregon! thanks for sharing the recipe!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this great vegetarian ghormeh sabzi! Turned out delicious, loved the addition of portabellos, I skipped the pomegranate and garlic - still very good indeed!
ReplyDeleteThe photos don't do this AMAZING recipe justice! Truly an outstandly delicious dish.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Persian restaurant used to make a veg version of Ghormeh Sabzi that I adored. When they closed, I was crushed especially since every recipe I found online for this dish was either meat-based or so incredibly pricey/time intensive I couldn't cook it. But this recipe is easy, isn't crazy expensive to make, & is still 100% crave worthy!
I don't like mushrooms so don't include this optional ingredient. I also split the difference & use half the oil noted.
I'm THRILLED by this dish! Tonight is the 2nd time I made it & the 1st time for company. They adored it as well.
My sincere gratitude for publishing the recipe.
That is SO NICE to hear Beth, thank you so much for sharing this story and SO happy this dish has brought you and many more joy 🌷yes, agree with leaving mushrooms out–some folks just like that beefy reminecent and if you try with Maitake or Chanterelle Mushroom (exotics) they make a pretty good substitute for meat; while portobello, crimini or white button don’t have much flavor or nutrients. A+++ for cutting oil down, I never cook with oil regularly and only add coconut or olive oil when I have company for extra flavor. You can also add good veggie stock in place of oil for added flavor and nutrients. Thank you for exploring this recipie and keep up the cooking ⚡️
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