Leek Stew with Olives

4.84 from 6 votes

An incredible leek stew with olives, a classic Romanian stew recipe, which is healthy, vegan, and more delicious than you could probably imagine.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Stews

Cuisine: Romanian

Diet: Vegan

Servings: -4 servings

Calories: 154kcal

Author: Adina

Ingredients

1 lb leeks 450 g
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
9 oz tomatoes small ones, 250 g
20 black olives with stones, Note 1
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons white wine
1 bay leaf
a small bunch parsley
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
fine sea salt
5 peppercorns
some lemon wedges to serve optional

Instructions

Clean the leeks very thoroughly. The best method to wash the leeks is to slit the leek from the top to the bottom without cutting it all the way through. Carefully separate the layers without taking the leek apart while doing it. Wash them under running water until all the dirt is removed. Cut most of the green part of the leeks.
1 lb leeks/ 450 g
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
Chop the white parts of the leeks and some of the sturdier green parts into 1.2 inches/ 3 cm segments.
Stew leeks: Heat the oil in a pot, add the leeks and ½ teaspoon salt, cover, and stew for about 6-7 minutes, stirring a couple of times in between.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Cut tomatoes: In the meantime, cut the tomatoes into wedges. I had smaller tomatoes, so I quartered each one of them.
9 oz tomatoes/ 250 g
Caramelize the sugar in a small pan. Add the sugar to the pan and let it get darker. When it is caramelized, add two tablespoons of water and stir until all the sugar is dissolved.
1 tablespoon sugar + 2 tablespoon water
Assemble: Pour the sugar syrup into the pot with the leeks, add the tomato wedges, black olives, wine, bay leaf, ½ of the chopped parsley, lemon juice, and peppercorns. Adjust the taste with more salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Stir carefully and if your pot is not suitable for the oven, transfer the food into a small casserole dish.
20 black olives + 2 tablespoons white wine + 1 bay leaf +1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice + fine sea salt + 5 peppercorns + parsley
Bake for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley and serve hot with bread as a main dish or with chicken/fish/ meat/ meatballs as a side dish. It can be served cold as well.
a small bunch parsley + some lemon wedges to serve

Notes

Olives: Black olives that still have the stone inside taste the best. Ensure you warn the people at the tables about the stones. You can use olives without the stone if you prefer.

Nutrition