Balkan Sauerkraut White Bean Stew with Smoked Paprika 🫘✨

Description

Balkan Sauerkraut White Bean Stew with Smoked Paprika is a hearty rustic stew made with tender white beans, tangy sauerkraut, onions, carrots, garlic, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, bay leaves, and olive oil. It is warming, deeply savory, naturally comforting, and perfect for cold days with crusty bread or warm cornbread.
‌
Hook ✨
‌
Creamy white beans, tangy sauerkraut, soft onions, carrots, garlic, and smoky paprika make this Balkan stew rich, warming, and full of old-fashioned comfort. 🍲

Ingredients

• Stew base 🫘
• ‌
• 🫘 500 g cooked white beans, drained (3 cups / 17.6 oz)
• 🥬 500 g sauerkraut, lightly drained and roughly chopped (4 cups / 17.6 oz)
• 🧅 250 g onions, finely chopped (2 medium / 8.8 oz)
• 🥕 180 g carrots, diced (2 medium / 6.3 oz)
• 🧄 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped (5 cloves / 0.8 oz)
• 🫒 60 ml olive oil (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 🌶️ 8 g sweet paprika (1 tbsp / 0.28 oz)
• 🌶️ 3 g smoked paprika (1 tsp / 0.1 oz)
• 🍃 2 bay leaves
• 🧂 5 g fine sea salt, plus more to taste (¾ tsp / 0.18 oz)
• ⚫ 2 g black pepper (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• ‌
• Liquid and finish 🍲
• ‌
• 💧 900 ml vegetable stock or warm water (3¾ cups / 30 fl oz)
• 🍅 30 g tomato paste (2 tbsp / 1 oz)
• 🍋 10 ml lemon juice, optional (2 tsp / 0.35 fl oz)
• 🌿 20 g fresh parsley, chopped (½ cup loose / 0.7 oz)
• 🌶️ 1 g chili flakes, optional (½ tsp / 0.03 oz)
• ‌
• To serve ✨
• ‌
• 🍞 Crusty bread or warm cornbread
• 🫒 Extra olive oil
• 🌿 Extra parsley
• 🌶️ Extra smoked paprika

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Prepare the sauerkraut 🥬
2. ‌
3. Taste the sauerkraut first. If it is very salty or sharp, rinse it briefly under cold water, then drain well and roughly chop it so it blends evenly into the stew.
4. ‌
5. 2️⃣ Soften the vegetables 🧅
6. ‌
7. Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions and carrots and cook for 9 min, stirring often, until the onions are soft and lightly golden.
8. ‌
9. 3️⃣ Add garlic and paprika 🧄
10. ‌
11. Add garlic and cook for 40 sec. Stir in sweet paprika, smoked paprika, black pepper, and chili flakes if using. Cook for 20 sec only, so the paprika blooms without burning.
12. ‌
13. 4️⃣ Build the stew base 🍅
14. ‌
15. Add tomato paste and stir for 1 min. Add sauerkraut, bay leaves, and vegetable stock or warm water. Scrape the bottom of the pot so the paprika and onion flavor dissolves into the liquid.
16. ‌
17. 5️⃣ Simmer the sauerkraut 🍲
18. ‌
19. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 25 min, stirring once or twice, until the sauerkraut is softer and the broth tastes tangy, smoky, and savory.
20. ‌
21. 6️⃣ Add the beans 🫘
22. ‌
23. Add the cooked white beans and stir gently. Simmer uncovered for 18 min, until the stew thickens slightly and the beans absorb the sauerkraut and paprika flavor.
24. ‌
25. 7️⃣ Adjust the balance 🍋
26. ‌
27. Taste the stew and adjust with salt only if needed. Add lemon juice if you want a brighter finish, or a little extra olive oil if you want a richer texture.
28. ‌
29. 8️⃣ Rest before serving 🛋
30. ‌
31. Turn off the heat and let the stew rest for 10 min. Remove the bay leaves, then stir in fresh parsley just before serving.
32. ‌
33. 9️⃣ Serve warm 🍞
34. ‌
35. Ladle into deep bowls, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with extra parsley and smoked paprika, and serve with crusty bread or warm cornbread.

Total Time

⏱ Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 53 min
🛋 Rest: 10 min
⏰ Total: 78 min

Back to full recipe