A big bowl of bean stew probably isn't the first thing you reach for in the middle of June, but so much of Serbian cuisine is rooted in meat and dairy, which made this pasulj a natural choice. The recipe I used did not actually call it pasulj, but rather "grah bez mesa" which just translates to "beans without meat." This recipe specifically was created by the Yugoslav National Army, so I knew it had to be authentic. The fact that it contained no meat was a plus.
The first step to any good bean stew is soaking the beans. I used a mix of white beans (great northern) and pinto beans. Pasulj can be made of several different types of beans, but white beans, cranberry beans, or pinto beans are most common. I love seeing the spots all over dried pinto beans, so pretty! (That's where they get their name.)
The recipe called for soaking the beans, then cooking the beans, discarding the water, and cooking again, then cooking your vegetables and adding those to the pot of beans. Instead, I simply added my beans to the slow cooker and cooked them until mostly soft, then sauteed my onion and carrot and put them in a bowl until ready to assemble the full stew.
The reason for this is so you have an empty pot to make your roux, a simple combination of butter and flour.
To the roux, a healthy dose of paprika is added.
I then added my vegetables and beans with some of the bean cooking liquid and simmered until it was nice and thick.
The recipe I used called for rehydrated dried chili pepper. I simply added some red pepper flakes to mimic that flavor. The pepper flakes I have are actually stronger than you would think, so it worked well.
To accompany the stew, I decided to make a second dish called ajvar, which is a roasted red pepper condiment or spread. Many versions use eggplant, but I decided to go very simple with just roasted red peppers, oil, and salt.
Supposedly, the word ajvar comes from the Turkish word for caviar (havyar), and is sometimes called Balkan caviar or vegetarian caviar. I suppose I can see the similarities, but one site I found said it makes much more sense to be related to the word "achar", a southeast Asian word for "pickle." I don't know what the truth is, but I can tell you it's very similar to the zacusca I made for Romania.
Either way, it makes for a great topping for a slice of good bread. I served it on a sliced baguette alongside the bean stew.
Speaking of the stew, I loved how it turned out. The roux plus the bean cooking liquid made for a really thick texture, which I love when it comes to stews. It was similar to the texture you would expect from a chili. The flavors were on point with the addition of the slightly spicy red pepper and the hit of paprika. Plus, it makes a ton, so leftovers for days, which is a win in my book!
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