Best Egyptian Spinach Stew Recipes

EGYPTIAN STYLE SPINACH (SABANEK)

Steps:

• Wash spinach well and cut into small sized strips. I usually take a few leaves, and slice together into strips, leave the stem, not problem. (This does not have to perfect, you just want to get them into longer, smaller strips.) Set aside.
• Boil stew meat in water with the two sliced onion and two bouillon cubes. Cook until tender approximately 2 hours.
• Strain out meat and pour broth into a large bowl.
• In that same pot used for cooking meat, add chopped onion, garlic and butter and sauté until soft.
• Add tomato paste, all spices, and stir around until well coated.
• Add pureed tomatoes, ½ cup water and approximately 2-3 cups of broth. (You can add or decrease broth, depending on how thick you'd like it to be, check while cooking and add more or less broth. End result should be thick, but watery enough to be like a thick sauce -- hope that makes sense.).
• Bring to a boil, add spinach and simmer for 20- 30 minutes on low heat.
• Serve in bowls next to plates of rice and browned fideo noodles or with pita bread for scooping.

MEDITERRANEAN SPINACH CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and garlic and cook, tossing regularly, for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
• Add the tomatoes, spinach, chickpeas, and chicken broth. Add the parsley and season with a good dash of kosher salt and black pepper. Stir in the spices.
• Bring to a boil of medium-high, then turn the heat down to low and cover partway, leaving part of the top open. Allow the spinach to simmer for 25 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
• While the spinach stew is simmering, toast the vermicelli. In a small pan, heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. Add the vermicelli and continuously stir to toast it evenly. Vermicelli should turn a nice golden brown, but watch carefully not to over-brown or burn. Remove from heat.
• Stir in the toasted vermicelli in the spinach stew and cook for another 10 minutes or until the vermicelli noodles are cooked to tender.
• Remove from the heat and finish with lemon juice and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.