If you’re a novice in the kitchen or just beginning to cook, this is the perfect recipe to get your feet wet. In Serbia there’s a saying “prosto ko pasulj” roughly translated to mean “as simple as beans”, a metaphor to describe just how easy something is to do/make. Like this traditional dish.
If you’ve had the pleasure of dining at a Balkan restaurant, whether that be Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Croatian, etc you’ve probably seen this dish served as a special of the day. Balkan restaurants categorize this as a “varivo” or “kuvano jelo” and rotate these types of dishes daily. These terms are used to describe dishes that are brothy, soupy, or saucy, and primarily eaten with a spoon. The term “varivo” comes from the word to digest, so a soupy or liquid dish aids digestion. Aren’t languages fascinating?!?
Don’t be intimated by all the steps below, I am simply over-explaining to ensure anyone, no matter their level of experience in the kitchen, can make this dish if they follow the exact steps.
Anyway, “kuvano jelo” dishes are the cornerstone of Balkan cooking, and if you ask my grandma, meals without something “on a spoon” are hardly meals at all!
A quick note before you begin.
Note: You’ll notice in the directions I’ve mentioned to soak these beans for 6 hours. Now, I’ve worn many hats so far in my career, but scientist/chemist is not one of them. These are purely anecdotes passed on to me by my grandmothers.
I’ve been advised to always soak my dry beans for a few hours before cooking and then dump the first water they cook in (see below). This not only speeds up the cooking time considerably but also helps to reduce the unpleasant side effect of bean consumption: bloating/gas. I sometimes soak them overnight as well, which is fine too!
Čorbast Pasulj / Bean Stew
Course: Entree/Main DishCuisine: Serbian/Balkan6-8
servings15
minutes1
hour15
minutesA traditional hearty stew that is surely to find it’s way in your meal rotation.
Ingredients
3 cups (550 g) dry beans (white or pinto) that have been pre-soaked
2 medium onions, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 bay leaves
1/2 lb (226 g) smoked sausage/smoked meat/smoked ribs/thick bacon*
1 small tomato or bell pepper, cut into large pieces
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Vegeta seasoning, to taste
- Roux/Zaprška
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (90 ml) oil (I use sunflower)
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 tbsp (16 g) flour
1 tbsp( 8 g) paprika
1 tbsp (8 g) Vegeta seasoning
Directions
- Soak beans in water for at least 6 hours before preparing dish. See note above.
- Transfer your pre-soaked beans into a medium/large soup pot. Fill the pot with water and cook beans on medium heat. Once the beans reach a boil, continue cooking for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the 20 minutes are up, drain the beans and discard the water they’ve cooked in. Refill the pot with fresh water and return to medium heat.
- Add diced onion, carrots, bay leaves, tomato or bell pepper, and 1 tbsp (8 g) salt, 1/2 tsp (5 g) black pepper, and 1 tbsp (8 g) Vegeta to the beans to start. Add in your meat of choice.
- Cook on medium heat, partially covered for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Liquid in the pot will evaporate and reduce before beans fully cook. When the water level drops, add 2 cups of water at a time to the pot to ensure there is enough liquid at all times. Add enough water to always have a full pot.
- When beans are fully cooked, reduce the heat to low and maintain a simmer (small bubbles). Taste the broth and adjust for seasoning.
- Make the roux/zaprška. In a small saucepan, heat the oil until hot but not smoking (1 or 2 minutes). Add in the grated garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the flour and stir so there are no lumps. Cook the flour, oil, and garlic for 30 seconds. Add in the paprika, stir well and remove the saucepan from heat.
- Carefully, pour in the oil mixture to the simmering bean stew rapidly stirring the whole time. It will start to bubble and sizzle as the oil hits the water, this is normal. Continue stirring.
- Once all of the oil/flour mixture has been added, stir and taste the stew for seasoning, adjust if needed. Cook the stew on low for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Notes
- * Smoked meats work best in this recipe. I’ve only ever used smoked meat or bacon as that’s traditional, so I can’t speak to using raw meat. Find smoked sausages (like Polish sausage) in your deli section or simply use thick-sliced bacon.
- Store the bean stew in the fridge. If, when reheating, it has thickened too much, dilute with 1 cup of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.
Happy cooking! I do hope you give this traditional recipe a try soon. And if you do, please use the hashtag #thebalkanhostess when showing off your cooking skills online. I’d love to see how it turns out!
Feel free to reach out to me at thebalkanhostess@gmail.com with any questions or DM on Instagram!
Followed this recipe today as my 9year old was craving pasulj and Baba wasn’t around. It was a big success, I think my mother in law would approve. Thanks for this, will make again!
Awesome! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
– Nevena
My baba made this all the time. This tastes just like hers! I add kupus too like she sometimes did. Delicious!
Awesome!
Great explanation and beautiful pictures.
Thanks very much Nevena.
You’re very welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
Nevena