Romanian Potato and Tomato Stew

Whether you say potato or "pa-tah-to" or tomato or "to-mah-to", you will love this easy Romanian tomato based potato vegetable stew which could end up being a meal in a bowl.. read on

I officially think about eating potato dishes in the fall. The nights are cooler, the days are damper, and heartier comfort food, such as warming potatoes, just feels right.

Romanian potatoes are saucy and make a perfect fall or winter side dish on a cold damp night. The spices are a little different than the spices I am used to. It called for a generous amount of paprika and bay leaves. I'm just not usually a paprika person but I tried it and it was good. There was no garlic or onion powder in the recipe (which I ended up adding at the end for my personal taste and decided to throw in some chickpeas and chopped tomatoes to have my full meal in one bowl)

Stew with chickpeas and chopped tomatoes

Carrots, onions, sweet peppers and potatoes are a tasty combination of flavors in this Romanian vegetable side dish. All my recipes were always gluten-free and vegetarian. As of February 2021 all my recipes are vegan and oil-free.

Transylvania is in Romania

Did you know that the legendary vampire town of Transylvania, which was made famous by the Dracula story, is a real town in Romania? 

Transylvania 

"Transylvania is a region in central Romania. It's known for medieval towns, mountainous borders and castles like Bran Castle, a Gothic fortress associated with the legend of Dracula."― Google 

Who has been there?

I love all my decorated bowls and mugs. Sometimes I eat stew in a mug from my mug collection - just saying

Ingredients: 

3 cups of potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup of diced onions

1 cup of diced carrots

1 cup of diced sweet red or green pepper

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon of paprika 

freshly cracked pepper

1/2 cup of tomato paste

1 tablespoon of gluten-free flour + 1/4 cup of water

1 tablespoon of corn starch with 1/2 cup of water, mixed well

Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste 

Freshly chopped dill or parsley for garnish

Optional: Taste and add garlic powder and or onion powder

Optional: Add 1 cup of cooked chickpeas for protein  

Directions: 

Add onions, carrots, and red pepper in a hot 3 quart sauce pan.  Stir and allow to sauté for 1 minute. Quickly add the vegetable broth and continue to sauté for another minute. Add potatoes, paprika, bay leaves and enough water to just cover potatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Cook for about 15 minutes until potatoes are soft, but not mushy. 

In a bowl, whisk tomato paste, flour, and little water to get a smooth paste. Add to soup. In a small ramekin mix 1/2 cup of water with a tablespoon of non-GMO cornstarch and also add to potatoes. Cook for 5 more minutes stirring. 

My Notes: 

1. I made some changes to the traditional Romanian recipe which was initially was not flavorful enough for me. I added garlic powder, onion powder, and some chopped tomatoes (Pomi chopped tomatoes) to meet my personal tastes.

2. Traditional Romanian potato stew often contains meat. I added chickpeas to mine at the end for protein.

3. I also added cornstarch which made the stew thicker and saucier. You could leave it out, but I thought it made a BIG difference.

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