Ljutenitsa is a vegetable relish that makes a fantastic healthy snack spread on a slice of fresh bread and garnished with crumbled feta cheese on top. The relish is a superb condiment to all grilled or cooked meats and vegetables and is a wonderful vegan, Gluten-free and Keto-friendly treat. Although most traditional recipes require slow cooking of the relish, this recipe does not, and takes less than half of the time to prepare.

HISTORY OF THE BULGARIAN SPREAD LJUTENITSA.

This beautiful vegetarian relish is believed to have been developed in Bulgaria around the 1930s.

Before canning was done in the Balkans, ljutenitsa was consumed fresh. Nowadays, it is cooked and preserved in jars for consumption all through the year and is the most popular relish in Bulgaria and Macedonia. The name of the relish Ljutenitsa comes from the Bulgarian word ljut, which means spicy.

The tradition of canning ljutenitsa in Bulgaria began in the 60s with the introduction of the water bath food processing method in the region.

To view one of the traditional recipes for ljutenitsa, visit my post, Authentic Bulgarian Relish Ljutenitsa.

Making ljutenitsA is a special family event BACK HOME!

Traditionally, the locals make this relish in late summer with vegetables picked from their gardens and preserve it. All members of the family, old and young, gather together to pick vegetables and help to prepare the ljutenitsa. They make the relish in large quantities. As most traditional recipes require slow-cooking of the vegetable relish at a low temperature for hours and involve regular stirring and skimming, making ljutenitsa is a laborious process, but it is also a wonderful family time! In the Balkans, every house has an outdoor kitchen area, specially designed for outdoor cooking and used for alfresco dining, and that is where the relish is prepared. The grandchildren are playing and running around the garden, while the grannies are seating by the fire talking or singing and cooking the relish. The women in the family prepare a feast, and the men chat over drinks and appetisers. This is a beautiful old tradition that has not been lost completely, even in these modern times.

What is the difference between this easy relish and the traditional ljutenitsa?

The difference between the recipe here and the traditional recipes is that this version of ljutenitsa is much easier to make and does not require hours of slow cooking and stirring.

HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS VEGETABLE SPREAD?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN THE EASY LJUTENITSA SPREAD

Bulgarian ljutenitsa has many local variations, with more than 30 regional recipes recorded. Although the name of the relish indicated that it was once a spicy dip, ljutenitsa is not typically made spicy today. Some recipes make it a sweet and smooth texture, but others aim for a coarse texture and piquant flavours. The variations of the authentic Bulgarian Ljutenitsa recipes vary a lot.

Many households have their family recipes passed on for generations.

The base ingredients in any ljutenitsa relish are sweet tomatoes, sweet red peppers and spices.

What peppers to use?

Traditionally, ljutenitsa is made with a local variety of sweet red pointy peppers called Red Kapia. Romano sweet long peppers are a good substitute for the Red Kapia peppers in this recipe because they are similar in texture and taste. They are also widely available in western supermarkets.

Many local recipes for ljutenitsa use roasted onions, garlic, boiled carrots or chargrilled eggplants/aubergines.

Traditionally, the peppers and the eggplants/aubergines are chargrilled on the barbecue and bring beautiful smoky tones to the relish. However, nowadays, many find it easier to roast vegetables in the oven. 

You can use a basic manual or electric vegetable grinder for processing the vegetables, or even a food processor can be used. Make sure to mince the vegetables with the pulsing setting and do not process the vegetables too much. We aim for a rustic coarse texture in the relish.

The good news is that this recipe does not call for sugar. Although it’s savoury in taste, the sweet peppers and tomatoes bring a natural sweetness to the relish.

If you like your relish spicy, you can add a few red chillies. Grill and mince the chillies with the rest of the peppers.

I love garlic! And this recipe is perfect for me because it contains plenty of it. If you are not a fan of garlic, you can only use half of the stated amount. But, don’t omit the garlic completely because it makes the flavours in the relish rich and piquant.

Parsley is an important herb in the Balkans, used often in cooking, salad and relishes. In ljutenitsa, it adds freshness and a crisp flavour. Parsley is sometimes substituted with basil for more fragrance.

Cumin, sweet paprika, savoury spice and black pepper are used a lot in Balkan authentic cooking and relishes.

Although the recipe states to use sunflower oil, you can substitute it with olive oil. Just be careful not to overheat and burn the olive oil because it becomes bitter.

This recipe calls for red wine vinegar, which adds a lovely tang to the relish.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

How many jars you will need FOR PACKING THE RELISH?

It’s hard to estimate how many jars of ljutenitsa you will have after making this recipe. It depends on the liquid inside the vegetables and other factors. Prepare at least 7 x 250ml sterilised jars. If your family is large, you can also pack the relish in 1-pint jars because it goes quickly if consumed as a spread.

Step 1: Prepare the peppers and the eggplants /aubergines

Wash all vegetables well. Remove the green parts from all vegetables.

You can remove the seeds from the peppers before or after cooking the peppers. Generally, it’s easier probably to do it before cooking. The seeds have the same health benefits as the flesh of the peppers, but they do not get processed well, and you may not enjoy their texture in the relish.

Chargrill the peppers and the eggplants/aubergines on a wood fire, gas or electric barbeque for lovely caramelised and smoky flavours. 

How to grill THE eggplants/aubergines and peppers on the barbeque?

Make a few small cuts in the eggplants/aubergines and sprinkle sea salt inside the cuts. That will allow the moisture inside to find a way out while cooking.

Grill the eggplants/aubergines on medium heat. Turn them regularly to cook evenly on all sides. Depending on the size, cooking can take 20-30 minutes or even longer for large eggplants. The eggplants are ready when they are soft inside and their skin is breaking and blistering.

Chargrill the peppers at the same temperature as the eggplants/aubergines. Remove from the barbeque as soon as the peppers are soft and their skin is breaking and blistering. That can take 15-20 minutes.

If you do not have a barbecue, roast the eggplants and peppers in the oven. 

How to roast eggplants/aubergines and sweet peppers in the oven?

Preheat the oven to 200℃/392°F.

It is a good idea to choose eggplants/aubergines that are similar in size. They will take about the same time to roast. Make a few cuts in the eggplants and sprinkle sea salt inside the cuts. This will prevent the eggplant from bursting. Roast them for 40-50 minutes.

Roast the peppers at the same temperature. The peppers are smaller and will cook more quickly than the eggplants. Keep an eye on the peppers and remove them from the oven as soon as they are soft and their skin is breaking and blistering. Smaller peppers may cook quicker than large ones. Peppers usually take about 20-30 minutes to roast.

How to remove the skin from the grilled eggplants/aubergines and peppers?

Place the vegetables in a large bowl straight after roasting or grilling them, and cover the bowl tightly with a lid. Let the peppers steam inside the covered bowl for 15 minutes. The moisture, locked inside the bowl, will make their skin loose and easier to peel.

Removing the skin from grilled or roasted pepper is a messy job. You will need to use a sharp knife. Always keep a small bowl of water handy and rinse your hands regularly in the water when pieces of skin stick to your fingers. 

Cut the cooked peppers and the eggplants/aubergines into large chunks and process them coarsely with your vegetable grinder or food processor.

Step 2: Prepare the rest of the ingredients

If you keep canned carrots in your pantry, they are great to use with this recipe. Fresh carrots must be blanched first. Peel and slice the fresh carrots into smaller pieces because they take less time to cook. Boil the carrots for 10-15 minutes or until soft.

Press the cooked carrots with a potato masher while still hot, or process them through a vegetable grinder or in a food processor. Read my instructions on How to preserve carrots?

Peel and mince the garlic in a garlic press. Reduce the amount of garlic to half if you do not like garlic.

Step 3: Make the relish

Transfer the processed peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, carrots and garlic into a large heat-proof dish. Stir the ground cumin, black pepper and salt to your taste and add them to the ground vegetable.

Heat the oil on the hob. Pour the hot oil into the bowl with the vegetables. Do that with caution because the oil will be hot and may splash and burn you.

Step 4: Pack the vegetable spread in jars

Sterilise jars and lids before packing the ljutenitsa. It is best to do that just before canning. The sterilised jars must be warm when transferring the hot ljutenitsa inside. That will ensure they do not crack from the heat.

For more detailed information on how to sterilise jars and process relish, visit the link here.

Pack the relish into the sterilised jars and wipe the jar rim clean. Place the lids on and hand-tighten them.

Process the jars with the relish in a water bath or a pressure canner. I use a pressure canner or the water bath method to process relish and can vegetables. The processing time for this relish in a water bath is 15 minutes.

Choose the method for sterilising that you feel safe with.

🍲 HOW TO SERVE LJUTENITSA RELISH

Ljutenitsa is a very pleasant and appetising treat. You can use it as a condiment in sandwiches, spread it on a slice of bread and sprinkle feta on top, as a snack. It is also a great dip that you can serve at barbecue parties as it compliments grilled vegetables and meats really well.

Bon Appétit! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳