What it means
لوبیا سبز (lubia sabz) is the Persian term for green beans, also called string beans. The word لوبیا was borrowed from Ancient Greek λόβια (lóbia), which itself traces back through Akkadian LU-UB2-SAR to Sumerian, where it referred to the cowpea plant. The second element سبز (sabz) simply means green and is a native Persian word. Together, لوبیا سبز distinguishes the fresh green pod from other bean varieties such as لوبیا قرمز (lubia ghermez, red kidney beans) or لوبیا چیتی (lubia chiti, pinto beans).
How to use it
- خورش لوبیا سبز درست کردم. (Khoresh-e lubia sabz dorost kardam.) “I made a green bean stew.”
- لوبیا سبز رو بپز تا نرم بشه. (Lubia sabz ro bepaz ta narm beshe.) “Cook the green beans until they are tender.”
- یه کیلو لوبیا سبز لازم دارم. (Ye kilo lubia sabz lazem daram.) “I need a kilogram of green beans.”
- لوبیا سبز با گوجه خیلی خوبه. (Lubia sabz ba goje kheyli khube.) “Green beans with tomato are really good.”
Cultural note
Khoresh-e lubia sabz is one of the most common Persian stews, typically made with lamb or beef, tomatoes, and green beans, and served over rice. It appears regularly in home cooking and is considered a comforting, everyday dish. Green beans are also pickled in Iranian cuisine and sold as torshi. The word لوبیا alone without a color modifier often implies the dried or red bean variety, so سبز is important for clarity.