Monastic Dishes for Lent

At this time of the year, Romanian cuisine focuses particularly on its winter stash of vegetables, such as potatoes and sauerkraut. In today’s show we will offer you a recipe for sauerkraut soup, usually cooked in Romanian Orthodox monasteries during Easter Lent.

România Internațional, 13.04.2013, 19:41

You will need one head of pickled cabbage of approximately 2 kilograms, two onions, three carrots and tomato paste. This recipe is relatively easy, although it takes several hours for the cabbage to cook. First wash the cabbage in cold water, chop it roughly, then leave to simmer over a low heat for two or three hours. Julienne the onions, add them to the mix along with the sliced carrots. You can also add two finely chopped parsleys. Add several tablespoons of tomato paste or tomato juice and leave to boil over a low heat for on hour.

And since each monastery has its own orchard, you can also try out a plum-based dish. You will need one kilogram of dried plums, two onions, one cup of rice, sunflower oil and salt. Wash the plums in hot water then leave to boil in cold water. Add the rice at boiling point together with the finely sliced onions. Leave to boil over a low heat and at the end sprinkle some sunflower oil, with salt and sugar to taste. If you want a nice colour, separately mash up a few boiled plums, add them to the mix and stir. Serve hot with pickled green tomatoes and cornichons.

Enjoy!