Khoresh-e Loobia Sabz - Persian Green Bean Stew with Chicken

 خورش لوبیا سبز - Khoresh-e loobia sabz is a delicious Persian stew, slowly cooked in layers of sautéed onion, garlic, meat, tender green beans, fragrant spices, and freshly squeezed lime juice in a rich tomato sauce, served over saffron rice. Green bean stew is one of my all-time favorite summer dishes. I had planned to share it on the blog earlier in the season, but I just didn't get around to it until now. Still, it's the perfect end-of-summer meal, light, nutritious, and full of flavor.

The traditional Persian khoresh-e loobia sabz is most often made with lamb, but you can substitute the chicken with lamb or beef cubes if you prefer. For a vegetarian version, simply skip the meat; the stew is equally delicious on its own. There are many varieties of green beans to choose from, but I love the slender, flavorful French green beans that are stringless and only require their ends to be trimmed. If you like to eat with both a spoon and a fork, as is customary in Iran, I would cut the beans into smaller bite-sized pieces to make it easier to scoop up some fluffy rice along with the tender chicken and green beans in every bite.

On a different note, in collaboration with the lovely and talented Sanam Joon, the author of My Persian Kitchen, we've decided to come together and address the ongoing issue of the unauthorized use of copyrighted materials from our blogs, a problem that has affected us both repeatedly over the years. 

It's truly disappointing and disheartening to see our recipes and photos appear without permission, whether on Facebook fan pages, on the menu of a catering chef's restaurant in California, Etsy product listings, Instagram accounts promoting Persian food using many of my photos. 

I've tried to handle these situations individually by reaching out to those involved, but it's a time-consuming process, and unfortunately, not everyone is kind or cooperative. I genuinely love sharing my recipes so others can cook, learn, and be inspired, just as I have been inspired by my mother and by so many talented food bloggers around the world. 

While the concept of intellectual property and copyright laws on the internet can sometimes seem unclear or difficult to enforce, the basic etiquette remains simple: ask for permission first, give proper credit, and link back to the original post.

And finally, I'd like to leave you with a timeless piece of ancient Persian wisdom, a mantra to consider and live by each day:

پندار نیک، گفتار نیک ، کردار نیک - Good thoughts, Good words, Good deeds.

Khoresh-e Loobia Sabz - Green Bean Stew

Ingredients
Serves 6

-2 pounds chicken breast or lamb, cut into cubes
-2 pounds green beans, ends removed and cut into 2-inch pieces
-1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
-3 large garlic cloves, minced
-1 can (15-ounce) tomato sauce
-1 large ripe red tomato, peeled, seeded, finely chopped
-1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
-1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon red pepper 
-2 tablespoons lime juice
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Olive oil (extra virgin) or vegetable oil

Method

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, and saute until soft and translucent.
2. Add the minced garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric.
3. Add the chicken pieces, along with salt, pepper, cumin, and red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink.
4. Add the chopped tomato and the tomato sauce. Stir well and add enough water to just cover the mixture. Bring to a boil for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to low. cover, and simmer gently on low heat for 45-50 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a separate large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Lightly saute the green beans for a few minutes.
6. Add the sautéed beans to the stew, sprinkle in the cinnamon, and pour in the lime juice., If needed, add a little hot water. taste, and adjust the seasoning. Cover and cook on low heat for another 15-20 minutes until the chicken and green beans are tender, most of the water has evaporated, and the sauce has thickened.

Serve hot with polow, mast o khiar, torshi, and sabzi khordan.

Enjoy!