Sabzi Khordan (Persian Herb Platter)

Sabzi khordan is the platter of herbs and accouterments that anchors every Iranian table. We wrote about it in an August 2020 story about Nilou Motamed’s obsession with herbs.

The assortment generally includes tarragon, dill, parsley, mint, cilantro and reyhan (a family of basils that includes Thai basil), along with scallions, radishes and/or Persian cucumbers, feta cheese, and sometimes walnuts. It is there to nibble with just about any Iranian dish, including simple grilled kababs. But serve it with freshly baked flatbread, and sabzi khordan can be a delightful meal in itself.

Motamed, the former editor-in-chief of Food & Wine magazine (now a “Top Chef” judge), shared her super-easy recipe for nan-e barbari (Persian flatbread) made from frozen pizza dough; find it here.

Which herbs you choose depends on what’s fresh and great; don’t worry if there’s something you don’t have, and go ahead and add any other soft herbs that appeal. What follows below are suggestions. As for the feta, Bulgarian is preferred. “We’re super snobby about our feta,” says Motamed. “French feta is dry and Greek is too salty.” But any decent supermarket feta will do in a pinch.

Serves 6 as an accompaniment to dinner, or 2 as a light meal.

Ingredients

1 small bunch dill

1 small bunch tarragon

1 small bunch parsley

1 small bunch cilantro

1 small bunch mint

1 small bunch Thai basil (or other basil)

1 bunch scallions, trimmed but left whole

1 small bunch radishes, trimmed

2 or 3 Persian cucumbers, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

4 to 8 ounces feta, cut or broken into a few pieces

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup toasted walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Carefully wash and dry the herbs. Remove any thick or tough stems, but otherwise leave them whole, and arrange them on a platter, keeping each bunch together (rather than mixing them up like a salad). Lay the scallions on one side, and arrange the radishes, cucumbers and feta pieces wherever they look good (again, keeping them together). Find a spot for the walnuts, if using. Serve with freshly-baked barbari bread.