How to Make Lebanese Spinach Stew (Yakhnet Sbanekh)

Yakhnet sbanekh (spinach stew) is one of the quickest Lebanese stews and a regular midweek dinner. Spinach wilts into a broth with onions and spiced ground beef or small cubes of lamb, then garlic and fresh coriander fried in oil go in, followed by plenty of lemon. Toasted pine nuts on top add crunch.

Lebanese cooks make it with fresh spinach in winter and spring, when big bunches fill the markets, and with frozen spinach the rest of the year. It is always served with vermicelli rice. The earlier versions of this page were missing the broth that makes it a stew; this one fixes that.

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) fresh spinach, or 600 g (1 1/3 lb) frozen leaf spinach, thawed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 40 g (1/4 cup) pine nuts
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 400 g (14 oz) ground beef or lamb, not too lean
• 1 1/2 teaspoons seven spice (baharat)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 750 ml (3 cups) chicken or vegetable stock, or water
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), about 50 g (2 oz), finely chopped
• Juice of 1 1/2 lemons, about 70 ml (1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
• Pinch of chili flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the spinach. For fresh, cut off the thick stems, wash the leaves well in a big bowl of water (lift them out so the grit stays behind) and chop roughly. For frozen, squeeze out some of the water.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy pot over medium low heat. Add the pine nuts and stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until evenly golden. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add 1 more tablespoon oil to the pot and raise the heat to medium. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
4. Add the ground meat, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until it loses its pink color and starts to brown. Stir in the seven spice, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt.
5. Add the spinach in handfuls, stirring each batch until it wilts before adding the next. This takes about 5 minutes for fresh spinach.
6. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, until the spinach is very tender and the broth has reduced a little.
7. Meanwhile, warm the last tablespoon of oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute, then add the coriander and chili flakes and stir 1 minute more until fragrant.
8. Stir the garlic mixture and lemon juice into the stew and simmer 3 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and lemon. It should taste clearly lemony.
9. Serve over vermicelli rice with the toasted pine nuts scattered on top.

Tips for the best spinach stew

• Wash fresh spinach thoroughly. Even a little grit spoils the whole pot.
• Do not skip the lemon. It is what turns a plain spinach stew into a Lebanese one.
• Toast the pine nuts slowly and pull them off the heat the moment they turn golden; they burn quickly.
• Fattier meat gives a tastier broth than very lean mince.

Variations

• With lamb cubes: brown 500 g (1 lb) small lamb cubes, simmer in the stock for 1 hour until tender, then add the spinach.
• Vegetarian: skip the meat, add a 400 g (14 oz) can of drained chickpeas and use vegetable stock.
• Some families add a tablespoon of tomato paste with the meat for a reddish broth.

How to serve and store

Serve hot with vermicelli rice and extra lemon wedges, plus radishes or green onions on the side. It keeps 3 days in the fridge. Add the pine nuts only when serving so they stay crisp.

Seven spice and pine nuts are worth buying from a Lebanese source. Mountain Boons in the Chouf makes spice and pantry staples, and Terroirs du Liban sells Lebanese pine nuts.

Frequently Asked Questions