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    Home » Vegan Lebanese Recipes

    Lebanese Spinach Stew (Sabanekh w Riz)

    Published: Oct 20, 2020 · Modified: May 3, 2023 by Janelle Hama

    Jump to Recipe

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

    Spinach Stew with rice known as Sabanekh wa Rice

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    Jump to:
    • What Is Lebanese Spinach Stew?
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Spinach Stew Ingredients
    • How To Make Lebanese Spinach and Rice
    • Serving Suggestion
    • Related Recipes
    • Spinach Stew (Sabanekh wa Riz)

    What Is Lebanese Spinach Stew?

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

    Traditionally it is made with ground beef meatballs that have been browned and then added to the stewed spinach.

    Up until a few years ago, this is how my family ate it.

    As a kid, I would try and pack in as many meatballs into my bowl, they were so good! 

    Nowadays, I make Lebanese vegan spinach stew, I have replaced the meat with chickpeas, and it's delicious!

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • Lebanese spinach stew makes a great family meal as it’s filling and inexpensive.
    • It’s also fabulous as a leftover meal. I especially enjoy mopping the tasty leftover juices with some bread.
    • Relatively easy to make, it's chop and drop.
    • Dietary friendly - vegan, gluten free, soy free, corn free

    Spinach Stew Ingredients

    Notes on some of the ingredients, the full list of ingredients and their measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

    Fresh English spinach is my preference for making this stew. As I love cooking with as much fresh produce as possible. The spinach leaves and stalks will need to be chopped small. (Frozen spinach can be used also)

    Canned chickpeas are used in this vegan spinach stew in place of beef. If you'd like to see a meat version, check this one out by The Salt and Sweet.

    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.

    Coriander (cilantro) is finely chopped or minced and adds a lovely flavor to this stew when combined with freshly crushed garlic and finely diced onion.

    Olive oil is used to fry off the onion, garlic and coriander (cilantro) however if you are on an oil free diet this can easily be left out and replaced with water frying.

    Vegetable stock or bouillon with water to boost the flavor profile of the entire dish.

    Freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

    Fresh lemon juice is used to finish off Lebanese spinach stew, it adds a bright sourness. Feel free to add as much as you like. This is not to be left out.

    Red chili is optional, either fresh or flakes.

    two white bowls with stewed spinach and one with cooked white rice also

    Tip: Spinach can be swapped out for Swiss chard (silverbeet). Silverbeet features a lot in Lebanese cooking and is often interchangeable with spinach.

    How To Make Lebanese Spinach and Rice

    Fry the aromatics. In a large pot, over high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, coriander and onion and sweat until translucent and the smells have been released.

    Simmer the spinach. Add spinach and vegetable stock. Stir contents through and allow spinach to wilt for about 15 minutes. The volume of liquid will increase as the spinach wilts and releases its jucies.

    Finish the vegan spinach stew. Stir the chickpeas, pepper, optional chili through the spinach and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Then turn the heat off. Pour the lemon juice over the stew.

    Serve on a bed of vermicelli rice with optional dairy-free yogurt.

    black pot with diced onion, crushed garlic and chopped cilantro
    chopped spinach in a black pot
    wilted spinach with chickpeas and seasoning in a pot
    spinach and chickpea stew in a black pot

    Tips - 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. 


    Large Pot
    You will need large pot to comfortably make this delicious stew.

    VIEW PRODUCT

    stewed spinach with chickpea and rice with vermicelli noodle in a white bowl

    Serving Suggestion

    Sabanekh w riz is always served with vermicelli rice and a dollop of laban (which is plain yogurt in Arabic) - we now eat dairy free yogurt on the side.

    The combination of cold yogurt with hot stew is wonderful.

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

    Related Recipes

    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.

    Another Lebanese Stew is bazella w riz which is stewed peas and carrot or try my Lebanese fasolia recipe, which is a red kidney bean stew.

    Or try my Lebanese black eyed beans recipe.

    Another Lebanese spinach recipe is my delicious spinach fatayer (pies) or this tasty vermicelli soup with spinach.

    For more chickpeas, try balela salad.

    Or try Lebanese potato stew known as yakhnet batata. Actually, you should check out this curated collection of comforting Lebanese stew recipes.

    cooked spinach in green both with wedges of lemon in a white bowl

    Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.

    Spinach Stew with rice known as Sabanekh wa Rice

    Spinach Stew (Sabanekh wa Riz)

    Lebanese spinach stew is hearty, warming, and delicious. Using minimal ingredients and can be made in around 30 minutes. Gluten free and vegan.
    Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Lebanese
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Author: Janelle Hama

    Ingredients

    • 2 kg Fresh spinach chopped small. (Frozen spinach can also be used)
    • ½ cup Coriander (cilantro) finely chopped
    • 400 g Chickpeas drained
    • 1 medium Brown Onion Diced
    • 5-6 cloves Fresh garlic crushed
    • 2 tbsp Olive oil divided
    • 1 cup Vegetable stock
    • 1 teaspoon Black pepper to taste
    • 1 medium Fresh lemon juice
    • 1 small Red chili (optional)
    Metric - US Customary
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a large pot, over high heat, add 2 tablespoon Olive oil, the diced 1 medium Brown Onion, chopped ½ cup Coriander (cilantro) and crushed 5-6 cloves Fresh garlic until translucent and fragrant.
      Sweat onion
    • Add the chopped 2 kg Fresh spinach and 1 cup Vegetable stock. Stir contents through and allow spinach to wilt for about 15 minutes with the lid on.
      Add spinach
    • Add 400 g Chickpeas, 1 teaspoon Black pepper, chopped 1 small Red chiliStir everything together and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes with the lid on. Turn off heat and pour 1 medium Fresh lemon juice. Serve on a bed of rice.
      Add chickpeas to spinach stew

    Video


    Notes

    This recipe will serve 6 people with some left overs
    This recipe is best paired with vermicelli rice
     
    Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 427mg | Potassium: 2132mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 31522IU | Vitamin C: 110mg | Calcium: 375mg | Iron: 11mg

    N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.


    Tried this recipe?Mention @Plantbasedfolk or tag #plantbasedfolk

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Celeste

      May 21, 2023 at 9:18 am

      I loved this. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Janelle Hama

        May 22, 2023 at 8:31 am

        I am thrilled you loved this Celeste 🙂

        Reply
    2. Caroline

      May 19, 2023 at 12:28 am

      5 stars
      Made this today for lunch and it is delicious!

      Reply
      • Janelle Hama

        May 19, 2023 at 7:52 am

        Yay! So glad you enjoyed this Lebanese stew! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Fabienne

      May 09, 2021 at 7:15 am

      5 stars
      Itis so good, made it exactly as you do on the video. Amazing texture and taste. nothing to add or subtract, it is perfect.

      Reply
      • Janelle

        May 10, 2021 at 9:03 am

        Thank you Fabienne,

        I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe of Lebanese spinach stew! Our family loves it!

        I look forward to hearing from you again.

        J

        Reply
    4. Shelley

      October 22, 2020 at 10:16 pm

      5 stars
      What a delicious, nutritious dish! I love how you creatively replaced the meatballs with chickpeas and then also onion to boost flavor (although I just might have to go ahead and try the meat version sometime, too)! And thanks for the tip that if needed, I could also use frozen spinach in a pinch - although I think fresh is my preference, too!

      Reply
    5. Dolly

      October 22, 2020 at 9:56 pm

      5 stars
      Love love love Lebanese food. Just drooling thinking about it. Yum! I've never tried this before but I'm thinking I need to!

      Reply
    6. Danielle Wolter

      October 22, 2020 at 9:34 pm

      This sounds delicious! What a comforting stew for the upcoming cooler days. Can't wait to try it!

      Reply
    7. Dannii

      October 22, 2020 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      We are always looking for new ways to eat spinach and this looks delicious.

      Reply
    8. Nart

      October 22, 2020 at 1:19 pm

      5 stars
      I've never had or heard of this stew before. This is so interesting. I would love to try the beef version!

      Reply

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    Hello, I'm Janelle, a culinary enthusiast with over two decades of cooking experience and a keen interest in creating delicious vegan Lebanese recipes.

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