Lebanese Spinach Stew (Sabanekh w Riz)

Lebanese spinach stew is hearty, warming, and delicious. Using minimal ingredients and can be made in around 30 minutes. Best served with Lebanese Rice.

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Jump to:

• 🥘Spinach Stew Ingredients
• 🔪Cooking Instructions
• 📝Recipe Notes
• 💭Recipe Tips
• 💡Other Variations
• Spinach Stew (Sabanekh wa Riz)

Lebanese spinach stew is known in Arabic as sabanekh wa riz, which translates to spinach with rice.

Up until a few years ago, in my family, this dish would feature well-seasoned ground (mince) beef balls (which, as a kid, I would try and pack in as many meatballs into my bowl, they were so good!) 

We would always eat this spinach stew with Lebanese vermicelli rice and a dollop of laban (which is plain yoghurt in Arabic) on the side.

The combination of the cold yoghurt with hot stew is wonderful. This is similar to how we eat bazella w riz which is stewed peas and carrot.

Nowadays I make vegan Lebanese spinach stew for half the family and the original meat version for the other half. 

Aside from this recipe being requested on a weeknight, I also get asked to make Malfouf which is cabbage stuffed with vegetables and rice or Molokhia which is the ultimate Lebanese comfort food of braised jute mallow.

For the vegan spinach stew, I replace the beef with chickpeas and I add onion for extra flavour. You can see how to make vegan spinach stew in the above video.

I also prefer to use fresh ingredients throughout the entire recipe, except for canned chickpeas (here's another Lebanese recipe (balela salad) with chickpeas in it). 

The difference between using fresh spinach and frozen spinach is negligible. I find that it really is only in the appearance - frozen spinach is finely chopped (almost minced).

With fresh spinach, I have the freedom to chop it how I please, I usually chop it into bite size pieces, even the stalks, giving it more texture.

No matter how you make this Lebanese spinach stew, it makes an ideal family meal as it’s filling and inexpensive.

It’s also fabulous as a leftover meal. I especially enjoy mopping the tasty leftover juices.

I’ll explain in the recipe how to make both versions.

How to make Lebanese Spinach and rice

🥘Spinach Stew Ingredients

• 2kg Fresh spinach, chopped small. (Frozen spinach can be used also, this is quicker as the spinach is already chopped up)
• ½ cup coriander (cilantro) finely chopped or minced
• Fresh garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1 cup veggie stock
• Pepper to taste
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 1 small red chilli (optional)
• ½ cup Pine Nuts, browned (optional)

Traditional version

• 500g ground beef (replace this with chickpeas for the vegan version - see below)

Vegan Version

• 1 Brown onion, finely diced
• 400g chickpeas (or replace this with ground beef for the original version) - another Lebanese recipe using chickpeas is balila

🔪Cooking Instructions

Vegan Version

• Optional - Step 1 – Over med-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot and brown pine nuts. Then set aside the pine nuts. These can be used for garnish.
• Step 2 – In the same pot, heat another 1 teaspoon olive oil and fry garlic and coriander until fragrant. Add onion and sweat (until translucent)
• Step 3 – Add spinach and veggie stock. Stir contents through and allow spinach to wilt for about 15 minutes.
• Step 4 – Add chickpeas stir everything together and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Step 5 – Serve on a bed of vermicelli rice (topped with optional browned pine nuts) and with freshly squeeze lemon juice

Beef Version

• Using the same steps as above, but before step 1 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef with salt & pepper and make bite sized balls. Brown beef balls in 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside. 
• At step 2 of the vegan version - omit the onions
• At step 4 of the vegan version - instead of adding in the chickpeas, add in the browned beef balls. 

📝Recipe Notes

Spinach vs baby spinach - In this recipe I prefer to use spinach over baby spinach. It is earthier and overall has a stronger taste. 

Fresh spinach when cooked will wilt and lose 50% of its volume, hence why a large amount of spinach is needed.

Making a big batch of sabanekh wa riz is great. This recipe keeps well in the fridge, for a few days in a snap-lock container. Simply reheat over a stove top or microwave. 

💭Recipe Tips

In the Lebanese spinach and rice video I didn't fry off the garlic or coriander (cilantro) as I recently learned off my Chinese friend, they never fry their garlic off as it reduces the garlicky flavour. I don't mind it this way.

If using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight and then cook prior to placing them into stew.

If using canned chickpeas, keep the juice, this is called aquafaba and is used to make many delicious foods, such as my Lebanese inspired vegan meringue with rose water.

Use the stalks of the spinach too, just chop up small (at least into bite sized pieces)

Serve with lemon juice, this adds more depth.

In my immediate family we never make it with brown pine nuts and it tastes amazing, however if you are inclined, like many others, you can add the browned pine nuts on top as a garnish when serving.

It's best to use a heavy based pot* to avoid burning the contents when cooking, especially when browning. A thin based pot will burn.

The above photo shows the same image but with silverbeet (swiss chard) rather than spinach. The result is equally delish.

💡Other Variations

The spinach can be swapped out for silverbeet. Silverbeet features a lot in Lebanese cooking and is often interchangeable with spinach.

Although, this won't be a spinach stew any longer 🤔 If you like cooking with silverbeet, try my Lebanese Black Eyed Beans Vegan recipe

Another Lebanese spinach recipe is my delicious spinach fatayer (pies)

Or try Lebanese potato stew known as yakhnet batata