Balkan Roasted Pepper Meatball Stew with Potatoes 🍲✨

Description

Balkan Roasted Pepper Meatball Stew with Potatoes is a rich, rustic stew with tender beef meatballs, roasted red peppers, soft potatoes, tomato paprika sauce, garlic, onion, herbs, and a silky spoonable broth. It tastes warm, smoky, hearty, and deeply homemade, with enough sauce for bread and enough comfort for a full family meal.
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Juicy meatballs, sweet roasted peppers, tender potatoes, tomato paprika sauce, garlic, and herbs make this Balkan stew bold, cozy, and perfect for spooning with bread. 🍞

Ingredients

• Meatballs 🍖
• 🍖 500 g ground beef (1.1 lb)
• 🧅 80 g onion, finely grated (⅔ cup / 2.8 oz)
• 🧄 2 garlic cloves, minced (2 cloves / 0.35 oz)
• 🥚 1 large egg, 50 g (1 egg / 1.8 oz)
• 🍞 45 g fine breadcrumbs (½ cup / 1.6 oz)
• 🌿 12 g fresh parsley, chopped (¼ cup / 0.4 oz)
• 🌶️ 4 g sweet paprika (1½ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🧂 5 g fine sea salt (¾ tsp / 0.17 oz)
• ⚫ 2 g black pepper (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• ‌
• Stew base 🍲
• 🫒 30 ml olive oil (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🧅 180 g onion, finely chopped (1½ cups / 6.3 oz)
• 🥕 120 g carrot, diced (1 cup / 4.2 oz)
• 🧄 4 garlic cloves, minced (4 cloves / 0.7 oz)
• 🌶️ 400 g roasted red peppers, peeled and sliced (2 cups / 14.1 oz)
• 🥔 650 g waxy potatoes, cut into chunks (4 cups / 1.43 lb)
• 🍅 400 g crushed tomatoes (1½ cups / 14.1 oz)
• 🍅 35 g tomato paste (2 tbsp / 1.2 oz)
• 🌶️ 5 g sweet paprika (2 tsp / 0.17 oz)
• 🌫️ 2 g smoked paprika (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🍃 2 bay leaves
• 💧 900 ml beef or vegetable stock (3¾ cups / 30.4 fl oz)
• 🧂 5 g fine sea salt (¾ tsp / 0.17 oz)
• ⚫ 2 g black pepper (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• ‌
• Finish 🌿
• 🌿 20 g fresh parsley, chopped (½ cup loose / 0.7 oz)
• 🍋 15 ml lemon juice (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 🫒 10 ml olive oil for finishing (2 tsp / 0.3 fl oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Mix the meatballs 🍖
2. ‌
3. In a bowl, combine ground beef, grated onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently for 1 min, just until combined.
4. ‌
5. 2️⃣ Shape and chill ❄️
6. ‌
7. Shape into 18 small meatballs. Chill for 10 min so they hold their shape while browning.
8. ‌
9. 3️⃣ Brown the meatballs 🔥
10. ‌
11. Heat olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Brown the meatballs for 6 min, turning gently. They do not need to cook through yet. Remove to a plate.
12. ‌
13. 4️⃣ Build the base 🧅
14. ‌
15. In the same pot, add onion and carrot. Cook for 7 min, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden. Add garlic and cook for 1 min.
16. ‌
17. 5️⃣ Add pepper flavor 🌶️
18. ‌
19. Stir in roasted red peppers, tomato paste, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 3 min so the paprika blooms and the sauce deepens.
20. ‌
21. 6️⃣ Simmer the potatoes 🥔
22. ‌
23. Add crushed tomatoes, potatoes, and stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 22 min, until the potatoes are almost tender.
24. ‌
25. 7️⃣ Return the meatballs 🍲
26. ‌
27. Add the browned meatballs back to the pot. Simmer gently for 14 min, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thick and glossy.
28. ‌
29. 8️⃣ Finish fresh 🌿
30. ‌
31. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. Rest for 10 min before serving so the sauce settles around the potatoes and meatballs.

Total Time

⏱ Prep: 25 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 53 min
🛋 Rest: 20 min
⏰ Total: 1 h 38 min

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