Persian Green-Herbed Stew Recipe: Silk Road Vegetarian Cookbook

Right after I broke my arm, my friend Cindy brought over Persian stew made from beef, spinach, herbs and kidney beans. I was a bit skeptical about the dish because it did not look appetizing, but the flavor was amazing! There was something earthy, acidic, and satisfying about the combination of flavors. It was also filling. And what's not to love about receiving home cooked meals from those who care about you?

I was planning on having Cindy teach me how to make the dish, but then found a vegetarian version of the recipe in a new cookbook I received in the mail from Dahlia Abraham-Klein called Silk Road Vegetarian. The book is a collection of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free recipes. The collection of recipes will take you on the journey to Afghanistan, Turkey, India and China all the while teaching you how to eat healthy.

Persian Green-Herbed Stew
Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups trimmed and finely chopped fresh spinach
2 cups chopped fresh dill
2 cups chopped fresh parsley
5 green onions, chopped
3 cups vegetable broth
15 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 dried Persian limes or freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
steamed brown rice for serving

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, and sauté the onion ,stirring and shaking the pan for about 7 minutes, or until translucent.

2. Add the spices. Stir for a few minutes, until fragrant.

3. Toss in the spinach, dill, parsley, and green onions. Stir until the vegetables start to wilt and become fragrant. Then stir in the broth and dried limes (if using).

4. Bring to boil and then lower heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, until the greens are deep forest green shade and the stew has thickened. Add the kidney beans, and the juice of one lemon (if using) and cook for 30 minutes. Serve over basmati rice.

I used a food processor to chop all the herbs and spinach, and liked the texture it gave to the stew. The final dish turned out great! I loved the green herby flavor of dill and parsley with slightly sweeter kidney beans. My friend Cindy said that her stew used cilantro instead of dill and had an addition of fenugreek. I say use whichever herbs you love. Well, not rosemary or basil though ;)

This is a perfect dish for Meatless Monday! Try this next time you have herbs and spinach laying around.

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of the cookbook for review purposes. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.