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When you’re craving something warming, healthy and fresh, this Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice is the perfect thing to make. All made in one pan, in just about 30 minutes, and using good for us ingredients like chickpeas, turmeric, lemon, spinach, and plenty of fresh herbs. It’s hearty, springy, and beyond delicious. Finish each bowl off with steamed rice and a dollop of yogurt for a healthy, colorful meal.
I think this is the perfect recipe for today. It’s the day after St. Patrick’s Day, it’s mid March, the weather may or may not be dreary (March rain is the worst, but March sunshine is the best), and it’s Monday. All of this adds up to something very important, we need an easy recipe that’s healthy and cozy too.
Enter this Persian Herb and Chickpea Stew…with rice because Monday also needs some carbs.
Yes, a stew. Maybe my first ever stew here on HBH??
Nope, just looked, I have an Instant Pot Beef Stew from back in 2017 that I forgot about. Not sure how I could have forgotten about it, as so many of you have said how much you love! Anyway, to me stew is a very unappealing word, but I guess it is what it is. This stew is not quite soup, but instead is slightly thicker, and is served over rice. It’s also served steaming hot, and made spring fresh with a very good amount of fresh herbs. So good!
Here’s the story. Even though I normally hesitate to make stews, I trusted my soon to be sister-in-law, Lyndsie, when she told me I must make Persian Herb Stew. The Persian herb part sounded so good, so I decided to put the “stew” part out of my head. She text me all of the ingredients that go into a Persian Herb Stew and I created a recipe based off those ingredients. Lynds doesn’t normally send me a text with a list a of ingredients for a recipe. But she’d just had this stew at one of her favorite Persian restaurants in LA, Shirin. And she insisted that I had to recreate it.
She obviously didn’t have the measurements for anything. But it was kind of fun playing around with the ingredient list she sent. After a few trials, I got the herb amounts to where I felt they were just right. And I now have a Persian Herb Stew to share!
Soo, it’s a good Monday. And we can all thank Lynds for inspiring this recipe and pushing me to share it with you all.
Alright, now this stew is pretty easy. But I will say that you need to have some fresh herbs on hand to make this stew happen. I mean, it is a herb stew, so herbs are obviously important.
It all starts and ends in the very same pan. First up, crisp the chickpeas. I love adding this step, as it really gives the chickpeas some color, and of course additional crunch. To keep things extra flavorful (and healthier) there’s a dash of turmeric. There’s also red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. And lemon for a touch of acidity. Together they create the perfect combo.
The key with the chickpeas is to remove a handful, to be used for topping, before adding in any liquids. You then ensure the chickpeas won’t lose any of their crunch. Once you’ve removed some of the chickpeas, add in a little broth, some spinach, and all of the herbs.
For the herbs, I kept things pretty traditional to a Persian stew, cilantro, parsley, and chives. My only addition was fresh dill. And that’s mainly because I am currently obsessed. Yep, happens ever time spring is about to roll in.
Let everything simmer together on the stove for a bit and that’s it. Well, kind of…
The next step is the rice. I like steamed basmati, but you can use brown too. Either way, the rice is very important. Spoon a good amount into your bowls, spoon the stew overtop, and finish with the reserved chickpeas. Simple, healthy, and every bite is full of good flavors, a little heat, and some crunch too.
Great Monday night dinner that can easily double as lunch the following day! Pretty much as close to perfect as it gets.
One more tip…you should definitely serve this with some Naan. Because everyone needs some fresh naan in their life, at least once a week!
PS. I am adding in this note a little late here this morning. But after reading through some of your comments I realized that there are many of you who wondered about the absence of last Tuesday’s post. I mentioned in Sunday’s post that I’m working on a large project with an end of the month deadline. Therefore, just like last Tuesday, I’ve decided to skip tomorrow’s and next Tuesday’s posts. Once April arrives things will be back to their usual schedule. Thanks so much for your patience and understanding!
If you make this Persian Herb Stew, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
watch the how to video:
Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1441 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cans (14 ounce) chickpeas, drained
- kosher salt and pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 3-4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice
- plain Greek yogurt, for serving
- fresh mint, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft. Add the chickpeas and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until he chickpeas begin to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, turmeric, crushed red pepper, and lemon zest, cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. 2. Carefully remove 1 cup of chickpeas and reserve for topping, only if desired. 3. To the chickpeas, add 3 cups broth, the lemon juice, and season with salt. Bring the mix to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Stir in the spinach, cilantro, parsley, dill, and chives, and simmer 10-15 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and the stew is very fragrant. Taste, adjusting salt and pepper as needed. If you would like a thinner consistency, add the remaining 1 cup broth.4. To serve, divide the rice among bowls and ladle the stew overtop. Top with yogurt, the reserved chickpeas, and fresh mint.
This is such a good comfort meal and it’s healthy! #WINNING
Hey Colleen,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! ☘️ xTieghan
this has become a go-to for me! such a great meal to pack for lunches — super hearty and has such great flavor. i think the yogurt is the key finishing touch! thank you!!
Hey Annie,
Thanks for making this recipe! I am so glad it was a hit! xTieghan
I’m looking forward to making for dinner. All your recipes are outstanding and treated amazing!!! I love your food ❤️??
Thank you so very much Michelle:) xTieghan
This was fantastic ! My boyfriend and I loved it so much and it was easy to make on a weekday. So flavorful and light at the same time. I cooked the rice in the pot with everything else and it tasted great. this was the first HBH recipe i’ve made and i can’t wait to try more 🙂
Hey Alex,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I didn’t have a 2nd can of chickpeas so I used a can of mushrooms. It was absolutely delicious!
Hey Chelsea,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. xTieghan
I LOVE this stew! So incredibly flavorful and love that it’s vegetarian.
Hey Tricia,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
Just made this – it was delicious, fast and easy:)
Hey Joanne,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
This is soooo fresh and herby and lemony and YUM! Like detoxy, but make it delicious. I make a LOT of stews and this really isn’t like any I’ve ever had. It’s like a salad in a stew, in the best way. Thank you as always!!
Hey Ruby,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I made this stew during quarantine, and I had a craving for it yesterday, so I made it for dinner again. My new (since I last made the stew lol) boyfriend has insisted it now be part of a monthly rotation because he loved it so much. I make it pretty much as written (which is rare for me), with the exception of doubling the turmeric, and I usually use a shallot instead of chives just because I always keep shallot on hand. Anyone skipping on the yogurt — DON’T. It’s the best part and really brings all the flavors together.
Teighan, I swear basically everything I make now comes from your website. I love your recipes as a jumping off point, and honestly, I feel like they’re making me a better cook, as I consider what flavors can be blended when creating my own recipes. Thank you for sharing your passion with all of us 🙂
Hey Stephanie,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) Thanks a lot for following along and trying so many recipes. xTieghan
One of my fave recipes for years!! Do you think it will freeze? Wanting to use up big bunches of herbs. Thank you! Xx
Hey Charlotte,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
Just finished my first bowl! Soooooo yummy!!! Simple, but oh so flavorful bowl of health and warmth! This will absolutely be in my rotation from now on!
Hey Kelly,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Omg!!! I just wanted to say that since I first saw the photo and recipe earlier this week my mouth has been watering! Well I left work a little early to get the fresh herbs i needed to make this. Definitely worth it!!! It was soooo goood!! Thank you for this!!!!!
Hey Kim,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
I am excited to make this tonight! I do have a question though…Won’t the cilantro loose its flavor if it is added in the beginning and cooked? If I don’t hear from you, I’m considering adding it later on because I love cilantro’s flavor. Thank you for the recipe and any insight! 🙂
Hey Amy,
You can absolutely add it later on. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Persian woman here, love this stew! Agreed with other reviewers, nothing like Alison Roman’s stew- That’s like saying Thai food and Persian food are the same, haha – No way! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!
Hey Kayla,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This looks amazing… only thing is my husband is not a fan of chickpeas ? do you have any recommendations of another bean or pea that would work well?
Hi Natasha,
Really any bean that you like will work, a white bean would be great! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made this last night on a cold December Kansas evening. It was delicious! I added shredded chicken and big, hearty carrots – because I had both and thought it sounded like a good addition. This is an amazing stew! And my husband and son raved. I even took a picture and “posted” on Pinterest! ?
Hey Natalie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan