Lebanese Spinach Stew
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Lebanese Spinach Stew– fresh spinach sautéed with garlic, onions and a perfectly spiced ground beef mixture. This simple Lebanese spinach stew is also known as Sabanekh w Riz in Arabic– which translates to spinach and rice.
Lebanese Spinach Stew- Sabanekh w Riz
One of my favorite Lebanese Stews that I can quickly whip up when short on time or when I need a healthy meal, is this Lebanese Spinach Stew. Spinach stew is often served over rice in Middle Eastern cuisine and can be ready in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients in Spinach Stew:
(Scroll all the way down to recipe card for exact measurements and a printable option.)
Fresh baby spinach
Ground beef
Onion
Garlic
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt and spices
How to Make Sabanekh w Riz– Lebanese Spinach and Rice:
- Toast the pine nuts with olive oil, if using. Set aside.
- Sauté the onions and garlic.
- Add in and cook the ground beef.
- Add Fresh baby spinach and cook for few minutes.
- Add fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and serve over rice.
Can I use frozen spinach to make Lebanese Spinach and Rice?
I prefer to use fresh spinach. You will need a lot of it, around 1.5 pounds (or three 6 oz bags of baby spinach) because fresh spinach tends to lose half of its volume after cooking. However, I have heard of people having success using frozen spinach. This is especially helpful if you don’t have fresh spinach on hand or if spinach is out of season. If you decide to use frozen, you’ll need 2- 10 ounces packs.
What to Serve with Lebanese Spinach Stew:
All Lebanese Stews are always served over Vermicelli Rice, I have a step by step recipe on how to make it. If your looking for a low calorie alternative, spinach stew also pairs well with quinoa.
How to Store this Lebanese Spinach Stew- Sabanekh
Let this Lebanese spinach stew come to room temperature before storing it in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days. The stew also freezes well, just defrost it overnight in the fridge and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Recipes with Spinach:
If your looking for the best recipes with Spinach, I have a few more on the blog: Lebanese Spinach Pies, Chicken Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo, Pasta with Chicken and White Sauce Casserole, Quinoa Hummus Bowl and Spinach Lentil Soup with Lemon.
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Middle Eastern Spinach Recipe:
Lebanese Spinach Stew
Healthy, hearty Lebanese style spinach stew made with simple ingredients and can be ready in less than 25 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds fresh baby spinach- or 3- 6 oz bags
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- One medium onion- diced
- 5 garlic cloves- cut into thin slices
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
For pine nuts- if using
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the pine nuts: in a small sauce pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium low heat. Add pine nuts and cook until golden brown for about 4 minutes. Mixing constantly to avoid burning them. Set aside.
- In a deep pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, salt and garlic and cook until wilted but not browned. For about 10 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and spices and mix with the cooked onion- constantly stir to break up the clumps of meat.
- Cook for 10 minutes or until beef is fully cooked.
- Add baby spinach, a little bit at a time. Mix well with the beef mixture and cook for 3 minutes, just until spinach is wilted.
- Remove from heat, pour fresh lemon juice.
- Mix, taste and adjust salt/sour.
- Transfer to a serving plate, top with toasted pine nuts and serve with rice on the side.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 508mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 16g
Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.