Vegan Sataraš
Sataraš is a beloved simple vegetable dish from Serbian and Balkan home cooking, made by slowly simmering sweet peppers, ripe tomatoes, onions, and rice until the flavours blend into a rich, comforting stew. It is naturally easy to adapt to a fully vegan version, requiring no meat, dairy, or eggs at all. The result is a bright, hearty meal with tender vegetables, fluffy rice, and a light savoury sauce that tastes fresh, wholesome, and deeply satisfying. It can be served as a main dish, a side, or a light meal on its own, and is especially delicious with crusty bread.
Shared by sarahec
Time
50 min
Serves
5
Difficulty
easy
🛒 Ingredients
- 3–4 large red bell peppers (mix with yellow for extra colour if you like)
- 3–4 medium ripe tomatoes
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
- 100g (½ cup) white long‑grain rice
- 3–4 tbsp sunflower oil or olive oil
- 250–300ml (1–1 ¼ cups) water or vegetable stock
- 1 tsp fine salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp sweet paprika (optional)
- Fresh parsley or coriander, chopped for garnish
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prep ingredients: Dice the onions. Core and seed the peppers, then cut into chunks. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
- 2
Sauté: Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 3
Cook vegetables: Add the peppers and cook for 5–7 minutes until slightly softened. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and paprika (if using). Simmer until the tomatoes break down and release their juices.
- 4
Add rice: Stir in the rinsed rice and cook for 1–2 minutes to coat it in the vegetable mixture. Pour in water or stock — it should just cover the ingredients.
- 5
Simmer: Lower the heat, cover tightly, and cook gently for 15–20 minutes until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Avoid stirring too often so the rice does not turn mushy.
- 6
Serve: Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish generously with fresh herbs and serve warm.