Naan-o Paneer-o Sabzi (Bread, Feta and Herb Platter)

By Naz Deravian

Updated July 6, 2023

Naan-o Paneer-o Sabzi (Bread, Feta and Herb Platter)
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Lish Steiling.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(506)
Comments
Read comments

The heart and soul of the Iranian table, this humble and satisfying meal is a simple combination of briny cheese, fresh herbs, walnuts and flatbread. Taken together, they make a perfect bite, known as loghmeh in Persian. A summer platter can include cooling watermelon, crunchy grapes and crisp Persian cucumber. Think of the suggestions below as an open canvas and add your preferred summer fruits and vegetables. Enjoy this for breakfast or brunch with a cup of hot black tea, as an afternoon snack, or as a beautiful, refreshing and light dinner with a glass of your favorite beverage. This is meant for those long, lazy summer nights when all you want to do is nibble and get lost in good conversation with good friends.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1cup walnut halves
  • Salt
  • 5 to 6ounces lavash or pita bread, cut into smaller pieces
  • 10ounces feta, sliced or cubed
  • 1bunch Persian basil or sweet Italian basil, lemon basil or Thai basil (see Tip)
  • 1bunch mint
  • 4scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
  • 1small watermelon, cut into wedges or cubed
  • 1bunch radishes, cut into quarters or slices, or kept whole
  • 4Persian cucumbers, cut into halves or slices, or kept whole
  • 1bunch grapes
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

643 calories; 36 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 15 grams polyunsaturated fat; 67 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 31 grams sugars; 23 grams protein; 1674 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Traditionally, walnuts are soaked to remove their bitterness and to make them crisp and more digestible. If you’d like to soak them, place them in a medium bowl and add a pinch of salt and enough ice-cold water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and soak in the refrigerator for 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Drain the walnuts.

  2. Step 2

    Arrange all of the ingredients as casually or as artistically as you like on a platter and serve. To create a loghmeh (perfect bite): Take a piece of bread, place some feta in it, then pluck a couple of basil and mint leaves and set over the cheese, along with a piece of scallion and a walnut half. Roll up or fold over the lavash and eat. Follow with bites of watermelon, radish, cucumber and grapes.

Tip
  • Persian basil (reyhan) is extremely fragrant and sweeter and more delicate than other basil varieties. You can find it at Iranian markets, but if you can’t, use the more tender leaves of sweet Italian basil, or use lemon basil or Thai basil.

Ratings

4 out of 5
506 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Julian Archer

Congratulations to NYT Cooking for featuring so many Iranian recipes. In the 1970s, I had the good fortune to live in that wonderful country for four years, and became addicted to Persian cuisine. Might I suggest a few bunches of fresh dill on this platter? And the suggested pitta bread would be a poor alternative to some warm taftoon or sangak...

Marianna

I grew up in the neighboring Azerbaijan. On hot summer nights, my dad would cut a cold water melon and serve it with a local salty, briny cheese. A divine combo that takes me back to my childhood days.

sexmagic

Lavash yes. Pita no. Pickle spears(good, crisp pickles, not floppy) can be substituted for the cukes for extra tang. Double, triple the amount of greens on offer- Other herbs to try: Dill Cilantro ~ Tarragon ~ Persian Watercress ~ Shawhi Green onion ~ Peeazcheh Chives ~ Tareh

Ferdinand C. Solis

Yum. Thank you.

Patty

This is served at Shalizaar in Belmont, CA. They pile the plate with loads of herbs including tarrgaon, dill, basil, mint, etc. Don't limit yourself to basil & mint. Lavash works better than pita. Both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods carry lavash/flat bread. Soaking the walnuts makes an otherwise disliked nut (to me and many I know) into a favorite. The quality of the feta is pretty important.

Dona

I buy organic walnuts only- they seem to not have any of the bitterness usually associated with walnuts. I’ve started to soak them overnight as well and then slow toast at a low temp for an hour or 2 until ‘dry’ and lightly toasted. It’s supposed to help with the nutritional availability( I eat a handful every night for Omega 3’s). They are even more delicious now!

Pooja

Made this snack plate for a chill summer afternoon movie date. It was so good - the pita, sundried tomatoes (substituted feta with sundried tomatoes to make it vegan), avocado (another addition), walnut, and mint made for the perfect bite. Watermelon and grapes made it so refreshing. Truly summer in a plate. Love the suggestion to think of this recipe as an “open canvas”, it made it fun, accessible, and a vital part of a perfect day.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.