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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.

overhead photo of Persian Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice

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!

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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.

side angled photo of Persian Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice

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.

overhead photo of Persian Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice

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!

overhead close up photo of Persian Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice

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.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 33 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 53 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

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. 
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horizontal photo of Persian Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice
This post was originally published on March 18, 2019
4.42 from 679 votes (530 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  2. 5 stars
    I loved this so much I made it last night for dinner and then tonight for my weekly meal prep. Sooooo good! Absolutely delicious!! Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow 🙂 thank you for sharing

    Reply

  3. Wow! My first recipe from HBH! My husband and I love Ghormeh Sabzi from a local restaurant. This is soooo good. I added chicken and it was delicious. Thank you!!!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Super easy and delicious! This is a great recipe for using up extra herbs you have around the house. I definitely will be making this again.

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    Making this recipe for the second time. I love dishes full of fragrant herbs. It’s sooooo good and the leftovers are even better!

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I tried this dish and it was delicious. I substituted the chickpeas with cauliflower florets the second time I made it and it was just as good – just a little lighter.

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    If you are on the fence but love a tasty vegetarian meal, please just make this! It is sunshine in a bowl. I made to recipe and I would not change a thing (other than to back off on the called for lemon juice….better to add more in the end if needed. I think i had a very large lemon!!) Thank you for another delish dinner.

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    I don’t often leave comments on recipe websites. However, for this I had to. This stew is freaking DELICIOUS. It is fresh, homey, filling, light and everything good at the same time. It has rapidly grown to be one of my favourite dishes and I will forever be making this- so thank you!

    Reply

  12. I made this today and the flavoring profile was so perfect.
    The veggies and onion tasted great, but the chickpeas were very blend.
    Am I doing something wrong? Should i stew for a longer time?

    Reply

    1. Hi Hope, did you toss the chickpeas with the spices before adding the broth? That is key to getting a nice flavoring on them. I would recommend cooking the soup on high pressure for 45 minutes. For best results, cut the pork into larger chunks. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  13. 5 stars
    Happened to come across this while browsing recipes. I had never seen your site before, but the recipe sounded intriguing. I made it for my husband and another couple. I had some defatted beef stock so I used that and I cubed our leftover Christmas prime rib. To say it was a hit is an understatement. I personally loved it and will make it again as written. What a lovely, delicious and healthy meal. So glad I stumbled upon it.

    Reply

  14. 5 stars
    I just discovered your blog tonight, went out and got all the ingredients for this recipe and made it! It’s superb! So excited to try many more of your creations! I’m a fan of vegetarian/vegan dishes, so thank you for including some of these recipes on your blog.

    Reply