Lebanese Spinach Stew

5 from 274 votes

Try this authentic Lebanese style Spinach stew made with simple ingredients; it's wholesome, well-balanced and perfect to feed a large family

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Lebanese Spinach Stew is a favorite recipe that I grew up eating and that I make for my family now every few weeks. In Arabic, this dish is called Sabanekh w Riz – which translates to spinach and rice. It’s a hearty, nutritious and wholesome meal made with simple inexpensive ingredients. While we often serve it with beef, you can make it vegan by serving it with chickpeas.

Lebanese Spinach Stew (Sabanekh wu riz) served with pine nuts and lemon slices
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What I love about most of the Lebanese meals I make is how they’re made with simple inexpensive ingredients that are transformed to something so nourishing to feed a family! This spinach stew is no exception and its one of the simplest Middle Eastern stews you can make!

How to make spinach stew

  1. Toast the pine nuts with some olive oil. You want them to be golden and fragrant without burning, so watch them closely and set aside when toasted.
  2. In the same pan, cook the ground beef with 7 Spice, salt and pepper. Make sure the ground beef is browned, and then remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. In that same pan, using the olive oil and juice leftover from cooking the pine nuts and ground beef, you can start cooking the cilantro and garlic along with crushed red pepper. I use frozen cilantro and frozen garlic to make it quick.
  4. As soon as the cilantro and garlic become fragrant, you can add the frozen spinach to it. There’s no need to thaw the spinach in advance or drain any liquid. Just transfer it it straight from the bag and cook until it softens.
  5. Finally, you’ll return the toasted pine nuts and cooked beef on top of the spinach along with chicken broth or water and simmer the spinach stew for 20 minutes. You can save some toasted pine nuts to add on top when serving.
  6. After 20 minutes, the mixture will thicken and the spinach will become tender.
Process shots for how to make the recipe in one skillet

When you’re done cooking the spinach stew, you can eat it on its own with a splash of lemon juice. However, it’s very traditional for us to eat it with Lebanese Rice. You can serve it with any type of rice you’d like, or quinoa, couscous, Bulgur or even cauliflower rice.

Tips for making the recipe

  1. Cook the stew in a heavy bottomed sauté pan; they absorb and distribute the heat from the stovetop more evenly, so you don’t get hot spots which can cause burning the pine nuts or the garlic.
  2. Use frozen cilantro and frozen garlic to make it quicker. Since I make this stew and other stews so often, I buy fresh cilantro and fresh garlic and mince them both and freeze separately to use in recipes like this. It cuts the prep down so much!
  3. Don’t bother using fresh spinach. While I usually opt for fresh over frozen when possible, in this case it adds a lot more unnecessary prep work and you will need a lot more spinach – like two pounds of it! Frozen works perfectly here!

Frequently asked questions

What do you serve the stew with?

Lebanese stews (which we call yakhneh) are always served with Vermicelli Rice, very similar to how curries are enjoyed with rice. For lower carb options, try it with quinoa!

How do you thicken stew?

As the spinach wilts, it will thicken the broth for this stew. You can control how much chicken broth you add though depending on your preference and keep in mind that it will thicken as it sits. If you want to thicken the stew even more, consider adding a starch like potatoes to it.

How long does spinach stew keep?

Once you make the stew, let it cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and it will keep in the fridge for around 4 days. The stew also freezes well, just defrost it in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop.

Lebanese spinach stew (sabanekh) served over rice with lemon slices and pine nuts

If you have extra frozen spinach and you’re looking for more Lebanese style recipes to make, you’ll have to try Arabic spinach pies which are filled with a spinach, onion and sumac mixture!

This stew is such a great comfort food dish, and one I grew up with! I’m sure you are going to love it just as much as we all do! If you have a large family, this spinach stew is a perfect easy meal you can make in 30 minutes with hardly any prep. You can double or triple the recipe because it stores so well and keeps for a few days!

For other similar dishes:

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Spinach Stew recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

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Lebanese Spinach Stew

Try this authentic Lebanese style Spinach stew made with simple ingredients; it's wholesome, well-balanced and perfect to feed a large family
5 from 274 votes
Servings 8 servings
Course Entree
Calories 157
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • In a heavy bottomed saute pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and toast the pine nuts until golden, remove and set aside.
  • In the same pan over medium high heat, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and add the ground beef, season with 7 Spice, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until the meat is browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside, keep any oil and juices in the pan.
  • In the same pan, add the cilantro, garlic and crushed red pepper, cook for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add the frozen spinach, remaining salt and cook with the cilantro mixture until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the chicken broth or water and bring mixture to a boil. Return the cooked ground beef and pine nuts to the pan. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes until stew thickens.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and serve over traditional Arabic rice pilaf.

Notes

Storage: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and they will keep for around 4 days. You can also freeze the stew and it will keep for up to 3 months.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • Instead of frozen spinach, you can use fresh spinach, but you will need 2 pounds to be the equivalent of 20 ounces frozen spinach.
  • Instead of 7 Spice, you can substitute any mix of paprika, cumin, coriander, ground cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon
  • To make it vegan, just leave the beef out or substitute it for chickpeas.
* Please note the nutrition label does not include the rice served with the stew.

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 765mg, Potassium: 336mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 174IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Course: Entree

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Comments

  1. Hi yumna will try this tomorrow. If I use fresh spinach what steps do I need to do? Also what’s a good brand for frozen?
    Thank you!

  2. So I’m Lebanese. Grew up in America but had Lebanese food daily. For the life of me I can’t get the recipes to taste how my mom cooks. I’ll be trying this family favorite to see how I do. Thanks for the step by steps.

  3. I’ve made so many of your recipes and this may be my absolute favorite! It was so simple, but full of flavor. My family really enjoyed it as well!

  4. I did NOT expect this to be so good! I don’t know why I thought this should have onions and tomato sauce also, but nooo. It was just perfect simple as it is. I didn’t even have cilantro and used ground coriander instead, it still came out SO Good! You’re a a start Youmna, totally trust your taste to match our family’s

  5. Just made this for dinner-it will now be in the monthly rotation! Absolutely delicious, easy to throw together and so very satisfying!

  6. I saw this recipe on TikTok and wanted to fully create the perfect meal, and it tastes SO GOOD. I’m at the simmer stage currently. I accidentally threw in some frozen kale I had been saving, so I have about 1/2 spinach, 1/2 kale but so far I think it’s going to be pretty good! I also substituted chopped walnuts instead of pine nuts because I didn’t have any, I figured you can do that with pesto, maybe it will work out ok? Thanks for the recipe!

  7. Made this dish yesterday. It was a major success and my girlfriend who generally hate greens, devoured her serving in minutes. Served with rice/vermicelli and yogurt. Another favourite in our household.

  8. Thank you so much for this recipe! My family raved about it and my daughter asked that I make anther batch as soon as we’re done with this one. I know this will be a favourite. My only limitation will be the price of pine nuts. 😁

    1. Buy pine nuts when on sale (well … cheaper any ways) and they keep very well in the freezer (the oils don’t go rancid as fast).

  9. I made this last week but didn’t have spinach. So I used silver beets instead it yield more then spinach world and it was cheaper.I used all the leaves and a 1/3 of the stems ( finely chopped). It was so good and tasty. English spinach can be expensive for a big family. It’s worth a try for next time.

    1. Oh yum! I had to look it up silverbeets, we call it swiss chard here, but that does sound amazing and like a great substitute. Thank you for sharing!

  10. I made this two days ago and it was so easy and delicious . I also made it with chicken breasts and it was as delicious as the ground beef one. So easy meal to prep after work 😋😋😋

  11. This is my go to recipe! Loved it the first time around and doing it again today … was wondering about the amount of salt. Do you reduce the 2 tsp if using chicken stock?

    1. I love that! Yay!! I would add the salt even if you’re using chicken broth, but it’s better to taste and adjust as you go!

  12. This is an absolutely incredible dish and recipe. Very good. Warm flavours with a hint of spicy-ness. The 7 spice is an addition you should not substitute in my opinion.

    I used beyond meat as a vegan substitute and it worked really well.

  13. Love it! I tried it several times it’s my favorite! Reminds me exactly of the one I used to have back home😍

  14. I tried this because I absolutely love your other recipes. It was amazing! I always get nervous when making a new recipe with guests over but it was totally worth it.

  15. Just like mama’s. Moving to Toronto from the UAE was overwhelming esp that now I have to do everything alone and your page Youmna has made my life easier. Made this a few days ago and my little one said: “just as yummy as teta’s.” Thanks 🙂 for your yummy and easy to make recipes.

  16. October 2021. Just made this for the first time and my husband & I loved it. Will for sure make it again. I used half frozen spinach & half fresh baby spinach because that’s what I had.

  17. I love trying new recipes. This was great. Wasn’t sure if I’d like the 7 spice but it was flavorful without being overpowering. Family said they would like me to make it again.

  18. Good gracious! The smell alone is reason enough to make this! I had to use methi/fenugreek, because it is my absolute favorite. Honestly, my house has never smelled better! And the taste! 🤗😍🤗😍
    I also made your mujadara recipe. More perfection.

        1. There’s no weight for the nutritional facts, but you can weigh the dish when you’re done cooking it and divide that value by eight to get the weight of one serving based on the recipe you made that day.

  19. Your blog is my favorite, so many recipes that remind me of home. Made this tonight, was so fast and easy and absolutely delicious! I’ve never had it with pine nuts before and wow!! Game changer! Thank you so much, the best comfort food on a weekend.

  20. I made this with veggie stock and Beyond Meat and it came out beautifully…the only thing is I needed one cup more of liquid despite adding only 16 oz of frozen spinach. Loved it…your food blog has been a wonderful find for me as I learn new recipes while laid off from work for the winter. Thank you!

  21. I have been wanting to make this spinach stew for a long time now. I finally did and all I can say is that it turned out AMAZING !!! I would not skip the pine nuts. They are very flavorful and blend so well with this meal. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. I can’t wait to make it again.

  22. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Those of us who have lived away from our roots for so long miss the flavors and dishes of home.
    I don’t live in an area with many arabic ppl and so following your page keeps me close and connected to my roots.

  23. This recipe is delicious and savoury! I used Impossible meat in place of the real thing and it was wonderful! I also added the toasted Pune nuts at the very end to give more crunch. This is a keeper!!

  24. So i must share. I wanted to cook something for a dear friend who’s anemic I thought your sbanekh w riz would be perfect. I also gave some to my Lebanese friend to try and critique, I wanted a Lebanese opinion. Both friends immediately asked for the recipe after they tried it. And my Lebanese friend (who’s an amazing cook) told me it’s the best she’s ever tasted! So I can’t thank you enough especially for your Lebanese recipes, since most natives have a hard time giving you exact measurements when it comes to their home cooking. Keep them coming 👍🏼 شكرا كتير💜

  25. We just finished making and eating this stew for the first time. It was delicious, and my two-yr old agrees! We had it over your rice recipe as suggested and it was the perfect complement.
    We added extra lemon juice because we love lemon, and it was so flavorful and hearty.
    Thank you!!

  26. Thank you!! My Lebanese husband was impressed with the spinach and beef recipe. He said it was just like his grandmas! ❤️

  27. I’m sorry I was reading the instructions (the last section) and it doesn’t mention at what point to add the frozen spinach? With the broth or before? Thanks!

    1. I’m so sorry, I just fixed that now. I usually add it before the broth and sautee it with the cilantro mixture to give it more flavor. Thanks for pointing that out to me!

  28. Truly a hearty nutritious and wholesome meal. My whole family enjoyed it. Thank you for another easy delicious recipe.

  29. This dish was flavorful with the spices. We had it for lunch and my daughter requested it for dinner as well. This will be in our rotation of meals. Thank you for these delicious recipes.

    1. As I’m reading the comments, I realize I forgot the lemon! But it was very good anyway!! Thank you, I never had Lebanese cuisine until tonight. I will definitely make it again.

  30. This dish is amazing ! I can’t believe how easy it is to make. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious and flavorful dish ❤️

  31. Wow !! I’m so amazed at how easy and delicious this meal is ! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing … flavorful and tasty dish ❤️