Vegan Veggie Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Stew of Greens)

Ghormeh Sabzi is a very popular Persian stew, traditionally made with a mixture of greens, beans and stew meat, served over rice. Some will 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, and very Persian tasting!

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 "FIFTY... Like FIVE ZERO?!" My grandmother just smiled and said "Yes, 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. 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 usually also leave out. Adding frozen spinach also helps thicken the stew in addition to amping up nutrient density. I go heavy on the dried fenugreek that 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 :)

I made THIS VIDEO to help you follow along: 

Veggie Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Stew of Greens)

By Sarah Farsh December 17, 2012

• 1 sweet yellow onions, diced
• 1 1/2 cups dried sabzi (dehydrated herbs - I use Sadaf)
• 1 bag chopped, frozen spinach
• 2 cups fresh mixed greens (cilantro, spinach, parsley, and or celery), finely chopped
• 1 carton of good veggie broth (splashes as needed to deglaze pan without oil. You can also use water. You can also add olive oil to taste. Non-vegans can also use beef broth)
• 1 or 2 cups of exotic mushroom - Maitake or Chanterelle (optional, serves as a veggie replacement for beef or just skip)
• 1 15oz can kidney beans, with the bean juice (you can add more beans if you like)
• 2-3 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
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 tbsp Bragg's liquid amino acid, or kosher salt (more or less to taste)
• fresh black pepper - to taste (Persians like it peppery) 
• 4 tbsp coconut oil (optional, I'll make with oil when I have company over and my Grandmother used about 1 cup of olive oil in her version.)

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. Serve with basmati rice or cauliflower rice and enjoy.