Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)

Serves 4
Herbs prep
3 bunches flat leaf parsley
1 bunch cilantro
2 stalks leeks
1 bunch green onions
¼ pound fresh spinach
½ small bunch fresh fenugreek (optional and too much will cause the food to taste bitter)

First, you want to “clean” the herbs. You don’t need to remove all of the stems, just the really big ones from the cilantro and parsley. Once you do “clean” this, soak the herbs in cold water for a bit, then spin dry or pat dry. and add to a bowl. For the green onions remove the outer layer and cut a little bit above the white and discard whites. Soak the green parts of the green onion and spin dry or pat dry. Cut the stems off the leeks leaving a little white. Wash and pat dry. Chop into pieces to make it easier to process in the food processor. In a food processor, add the cleaned parsley, cilantro, green onions, leeks, spinach, and fenugreek and process until smooth. You might have to do this in bunches to get it all in and you also might have to add water to make it smooth. Set aside.

Note: optional and very time saving to this is buying the frozen prepared herbs at the persian grocery store. It provides a similar taste and is much much easier so I recommend this as a great alternative.

Stew prep
2 pounds beef washed and cut into chunks
1 can kidney beans washed and drained
1 large yellow onion finely chopped
3-4 dried lemons (limoo amani) with holes poked in them
⅛ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil (2x)
½ teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
water

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the chopped fresh herbs for about 10-15 minutes, stir frequently. Make sure not to burn herbs. Set Aside. (Skip this step entirely if using store bought herbs)
In a large pot add olive oil and head on medium to high heat. Ad the beef chunks and cook until browning begins. Add onions. Continue to cook until onions are light golden brown. Add turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cook until meat is browned.
Add the drained kidney beans, herbs, and dried lemons. Bring stove to high heat then add enough water to cover the mixture by about 2 inches, bring to a boil on high heat for just a couple of minutes, lower the heat, cover and cook on medium to low heat for 1 1/2 hours. About 1 hour in add the lemon juice, mix, and cover for remaining time. The longer it simmers the better it will taste. We typically let it simmer for an additional 30 mins on the lowest heat to let it settle (khoob ja miofteh)
Serve on basmati rice or on brown rice for healthy alternative