Vegan Khoresht Loobia – Persian Red Stew with Kabocha Squash and Green Beans

Khoresht Loobia was my 2^nd favorite stew my grandmother used to make after Gormeh Sabzi. I used to call it “the red stuff” and it’s an extremely comforting, aromatic, exotic, zingy stew that’s best on top of basmati rice. I updated the traditional recipe by subbing kabocha squash for beef stew meat which actually gives the dish even more depth and richer subtle sweetness. This plant forward version is a healthier take on my grandmas masterpiece and hope you enjoy the nourishing take too! Tip: You can sub basmati rice for cauliflower rice if you’re watching your carbs and you can also buy rice or quinoa ready made in the frozen section so one less thing to fuss over.

Serve over Basmati Rice

 Kabocha Squash - no need to peel! 

I served left overs later in the week on top of rice noodles for a Persian style pasta dish and it was also delicious!

Thank you to my dear friend Brigitte for sous-chefing and accompanying me in the kitchen for this feature <3 

Vegan Khoresht Loobia

by Sarah Farsh November, 2019

• ½ Kaboucha squash, seeded and cubed
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 3-4 dried Sadaf Persian dried limes, pierced
• 1 ½ - 2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch cumin (optional)
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasse (or maple syrup, or date paste-optional)
• 4 heaping tbsp tomato paste (about 2 small cans)
• 1 large can tomato sauce, or crushed tomatoes (ingredients should just say “tomatoes”)
• 2 boxes veggie broth (or water, or if you’re not vegan, beef broth adds a nice flavor to without adding meat)
• 2-3 cups French string beans (I used frozen)
• 1 cup red lentils (optional, you can skip string beans and just use lentils, or mix both for a Dal Adas-Loobia hybrid) 
• 1 tsp kosher salt (more or less to your personal taste)
• 1-2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper corn
• 1/4 tsp Persian saffron (make sure it’s Persian, there is a huge difference in saffron strands!)
• Drizzle of unfiltered EVOO (optional)

In a stew pot, dry sauté onions (splash water or broth as needed so to deglaze). Add squash, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, lime juice, dried limes, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, tomato sauce, veggie broth, salt, pepper and saffron to pot and continue to cook on medium heat. Drizzle oil towards end of cooking for flavor if you’re deciding to include oil. Let stew simmer and stew for at 45min-1hr. Add red lentils if you're using 15min before serving. Add string beans just a few minutes before serving so they stay green. It’s always more delicious the next day after stew has been stewing in it’s on flavors overnight. You can make in advance the night before you serve for company for prime flavor. You can also ziplock individual portions for the freezer and reheat for single portions in the future!