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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.
Incredible flavour and a fan favourite. I substituted rice for orzo!
Hi there,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend!🍁
This is one of my HBH faves! It’s easy and cozy, but slightly unusual and great for guests. I come back to it time and time again.
Hey Becky,
I truly appreciate you making this recipe so often and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it always turns out well for you! xx
I’m new to this vegetarian meals and thanks to your recipes I’ve leaned to enjoy such delicious veggies recipes.
Love to hear this!!
Just WOW! Great flavor Tieghan! You nailed it.
Hi Kris,
Happy Tuesday! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this dish, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Delicious!
I topped with creme fraise because i didnt have greek yoghurt
Hey there,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks for making it! xxT
This was absolutely delicious – thanks so much!
Hey Serab,
Happy Friday!!? Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, I am so glad it was a hit! xT
Delicious ?
Hi Claudia,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go and sharing your feedback!! I love to hear that it was a winner:) xTieghan
This has been our Meatless Monday family dinner twice recently and it’s absolutely delicious. So bright and full of flavor. The entire clan loves it!
Hey Christa,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
We’ve made this several times, and we love the death of flavor and fresh ingredients. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
One question if I may: do you have any tips for getting the chickpeas to crisp up? This is the only part of the recipe that has been tricky for me.
Thank you again for all the great work you do!
Hey Zach,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! Try popping them under the broiler, just keep a close eye on them. xxT
Soooooo good!! Also quick and easy. Really enjoyed, it was delicious. Thank you!
Hey Carolyn,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! ? xx
This was so so good! Followed the recipe exactly, and it was perfect. Only addition was serving harissa with the yogurt at the end – highly recommend 🙂
Hi Chelsea,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
I loved this soup. Perfect for Fridays during Lent season! I made a few minor changes – like toasting the chickpeas in advance with Hungarian Paprika and garlic salt (this gave the chickpeas a good crunch!). Added additional veggies like carrots and celery and used farro instead of rice. Super delicious! Can’t wait to make this again!
Hey there,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan
Damn, this is good. Didn’t have lemon zest or 2 cans of chicks, so I omitted zest and put one can of chicks and one can of kidney beans. It’s really good. Made it for my little one who is sick at home for the week. We didn’t have ramen…so healthy stew from Half Baked to the rescue. So. Damn. Good.
Hey Linda,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
If I do not have fresh herbs on hand, can I use dried? Do you have a suggestion for the measurement of dried spices to use instead?
Hey Ashley,
Yes, that will work for you! For every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs you will use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this and loved it! Even my picky 6 year old loves this.
Was curious though, I want to try and make a spicy version but am stumped on what to add without ruining it. Any suggestions?
Hey Victoria,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I’d add a small scoop of Tunisian harissa on the side, I think the flavors would blend well. The only place I can find it in the states is at trader joe’s or some import stores (it usually comes in a bright yellow can from Nabeul).
Thanks for the suggestion!!