Dining at a Balkan restaurant or “Kafana” has its own charm. White tablecloths (most of the time), a menu full of traditional dishes, including grilled meat of course, and sometimes live music, depending on where and when you go make up a good Balkan Kafana. Read more about Kafana culture in the Balkans here. One menu staple you’ll always find at a Balkan restaurant (Bosnian and Serbian at least) is Teleća Čorba or beef stew.

By American standards, this would probably be considered a beef soup rather than a stew. It’s thinner than the chunkier, thicker version you’ll find in the states.

Teleća Čorba is served as the first course in a multi-course Balkan meal, and often with either vinegar or a wedge or two of lemon. While some like to eat it on its own, adding either the vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice really brings the dish to a whole new level. It infuses the dish with a punch of freshness and makes for a really comforting and satisfying meal. I love to squeeze just a tiny bit of lemon juice in mine.

If you’re not a beef fan, check out my chicken version of this dish in the link below. It’s prepared almost the same way and is served during special occasions such as weddings or dinner parties. Soups and stews are very important in Balkan culture and meals often begin with soup, even if it’s the instant kind.

Looking for more soup/stew recipes? Check out the Soup/Stew section where I have a chicken version of this dish!

Kafanska Teleća Čorba / Traditional Beef Stew

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCuisine: Balkan, Serbian

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

A menu staple in Balkan restaurants and probably the most popular first course dish.

Ingredients

1 large onion (white or yellow), diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/2 celery stalk (30-50 g), diced
1/3 cup (30-50 g) parsnip, diced
3/4 lb (320 g) beef ( I like to use stew meat)
Around 7-10 cups of water, depending on pot
2-3 tablespoons Vegeta, to taste
Salt, to taste
Black Pepper (biber), to taste
Parsley, dried or fresh, to taste
Oil
Thickener
1/2 cup (120 ml) cold water
2 tablespoons flour (dve kasike)
Zaprska
1 egg yolk
1/2 tablespoon (pola kasike) sour cream

Directions

In a large pot, pour enjoy oil to cover the bottom. Turn up the heat to medium and add the beef. Cook on medium until the water the meat releases evaporates and the beef slightly browns, about 15-20 minutes.
Once the meat browns and starts to sear, pour in 4 cups of water (1 L) or enough so that the meat is completely covered. Turn down the heat to low, and cook the beef for about 45 minutes. This allows the beef to slowly cook and become soft. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper (biber) at this time. Stir occasionally.
After 45 minutes, to the meat add in the diced carrot, onion, celery, and parsnip. Add in Vegeta to taste (I add about 2 tablespoons). Add in a little more salt and black pepper (all to taste). Pour 5 cups of water (1.5L) or enough to fill the pot.
Turn up the heat to medium and cook the stew uncovered until the vegetables have softened and the meat has become soft as well but not falling apart. The meat should still be in one piece and have a slight bite to it, about 45 minutes.

While the stew cooks during this time, the water will evaporate. Add water to the pot from time to time to always have the same amount of water you started with in step 3.
After the vegetables have cooked through, reduce the heat but maintain a slight simmer. In a mug or small bowl, mix together the thickener ingredients. Make sure the water is cold to prevent any lumps. Stir the mixture well until all the flour is dissolved. Slowly add the thickener to the stew and stir. Continue simmering for another 5 minutes, and then remove from heat.
In a mug or small bowl, mix together the zaprska ingredients. Mix well so that there are no lumps. Add this to the stew (make sure the stew is off the heat). Stir the stew while adding the zaprska mixture. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Taste the stew and adjust for seasoning.
Serve hot with a side of lemon wedges/juice or vinegar.