Craving comfort food with a twist? These 20 Romanian dishes are bursting with unique spices, fresh herbs, and time-honored techniques that will have you saying “Multumesc!” after every bite.
1. Romanian Meatball Soup
It takes around 90 minutes to complete this traditional Romanian soup, and any Romanian dish aficionado should have it. As the Bossy Kitchen informs us, Romanian meatball soup is “the finest of the soups” and “the pride of every Romanian cook.”
That certainly creates a lot of anticipation for just one soup dish. Fortunately, it’s not too challenging to prepare, plus it tastes awesome.
The thick, delectable meatballs help make this soup exceptionally satisfying and a great option during the chillier time of year, plus it features the flavor of tomato and herbs and is just a touch spicy.
2. Romanian Potato Moussaka
Oh, moussaka… Moussaka is spectacular, and I have zero idea why more people aren’t aware of and crazy about it.
If you’ve ever been to a Greek diner, maybe you have seen it on their menu. Perhaps you’ve even tried it!
However, Romanian moussaka is just a bit different from the Greek variation. You’ll find the main distinction in the meat.
Lamb is the moussaka meat to go with in Greece. On the other hand, Romanian moussaka typically consists of either beef or pork.
This is the case for this recipe too. Nevertheless, both versions are tasty.
In the end, meat, potatoes, herbs, and veggies can’t be beat.
3. Romanian Cheese Donuts
I out of the blue realized that there were not a lot of desserts on this list! Apart from the cozonac and the mucenici, Romania’s sweet offerings were actually ignored.
With one of the greatest Romanian sweets: cheese donuts, let’s repair that. You’ll top these deep-fried donuts with cottage cheese in the batter with blueberry jam and smetana, which is a blend of sour cream and heavy whipping cream.
Every nibble of these awesome donuts will be a delight and will simply dissolve. Because you will not be able to eat just one, you might decide to multiply the recipe.
4. Romanian Cabbage Rolls (Sarmale)
Cabbage rolls are a typical Romanian dish with a lot of flavor happening on the inside. You’ll use things like rice, sour cabbage, ground pork, bacon, onions, tomato juice, and certain seasonings to put it together.
It will take a few hours to prepare, but you can’t get perfection in minutes. When finished, both the appearance and the flavor are spectacular.
They’re a lovely, shiny golden-brown from the tomato juice and sprinkled with fresh parsley. When you pile them up and include a dollop of sour cream up top, you are ready for a classic Romanian meal.
5. Feta Fry Bread
This particular bread is soft, cheesy, and sticky on the inside with a crisp exterior. Salt, flour, sugar, yeast, and water are all you need for the dough.
Only feta cheese is required for the filling. You could compare feta fry bread to a cheese quesadilla, but it’s not really a match.
Think of it as deep-fried cheesy dough and love every single bite.
6. Romanian Country Bread
The inside of Romanian country bread is noticeably moist and airy, even with its somewhat sturdy exterior. It tastes kind of like sourdough bread and goes nicely with stews and other foods people like to soak up with a thick, crusty bread.
Just like the cabbage rolls, this bread will also require a few hours to complete, though a significant portion of that time is spent waiting for the dough to rise and preparing it for cooking. You will only need about 20 minutes to work on it.
7. Romanian Eggplant Salad/Dip
If you are into garlicky, smoky, and herby dips, then this eggplant dip will definitely be your thing. This recipe is vegan and naturally gluten-free, plus it’s mainly made from veggies, making it fairly nutritious.
Use it with vegetables, crackers, pita bread, or chips.
8. Mamaliga
Mamaliga is the country’s national dish of cornmeal-based porridge. In other words, you could call it polenta.
It’s wonderfully creamy and thick. However, as opposed to polenta, which is often eaten when it is soft and porridge-like, you’ll give the mamaliga time to thicken into a solid circle.
Besides water, salt, pepper, and something creamy for a topping, just two things are required to prepare mamaliga: cornmeal and butter. What’s more, it only requires 25 minutes to prepare, unlike the first couple of recipes in this roundup.
9. Tripe Soup
Although preparing tripe soup takes some time, you’ll be happy you made the time if you enjoy creamy soups with strong, rich flavor. This soup is both hearty and a bit spicy.
Plus, it’s a feast for the eyes. The warm yellow hue of the soup provides a beautiful contrast to the vibrant green parsley.
Consider preparing a bit extra if you are going to make it. It will remain fresh in the freezer for approximately 4 months after cooling.
10. Romanian Meatballs (Chiftele)
Finding a tasty meatball isn’t always easy. You can find mediocre meatballs everywhere, but it’s more unusual to find one that’s actually tasty.
Good meatballs are Romanian meatballs, also called chiftele. They feature an awesome garlic and herb flavor, are thick and juicy, and will taste amazing no matter how you eat them.
It’s difficult to stop yourself from reaching for more after eating even one. Luckily, you could easily prepare a half-dozen or more in an hour or less.
11. Romanian Stuffed Peppers
Romanian stuffed peppers may look a bit different from those at an Italian or Mexican restaurant, yet they taste quite similar. They’re filled with pork (or beef), peppers, rice, onions, and many herbs and seasonings.
To add even more flavor, they are also coated in a tomato-based sauce. These require just under a couple of hours to make, and you will not regret the time you spent preparing them.
12. Cheese Pie
Is there anything better than puffed pastry stuffed with two types of cheese? Unlikely.
This cheese pie recipe is amazing, and every mouthful is sublime. Even though it requires a bit more than an hour to prepare, it only calls for four ingredients.
This savory pie will be yours to enjoy if you have an egg, puff pastry, and ricotta and feta cheeses. A little fresh dill can add to the experience, as well.
13. White Cabbage Salad
If you can’t get enough cabbage, this recipe is for you. In all seriousness, the ingredients list calls for precisely that, plus salt, vegetable oil, vinegar, pepper, and parsley.
This recipe is a joy both in taste and texture, being both soft and subtly sweet. Although it is great along with most main dishes, you shouldn’t think of it as coleslaw.
The two are quite different.
14. Cozonac
Even though it appears elaborate and complex, this bread actually isn’t that hard to prepare. The list of ingredients looks long, and the 4-hour total cooking time appears daunting, though it’s not quite as hard as it may appear.
First, many of the ingredients are staples you probably already have. Second, the dough only needs to rise for a couple hours.
So, go ahead and jump in. In the end, it will be worthwhile.
It’s ideal as a gift or for a fancy celebration or dinner, is wonderfully sweet with a dash of citrus, and includes a rich, nutty swirl running through the center.
15. Romanian Potato Salad
Another staple of Romanian cuisine is Romanian potato salad. It’s so ubiquitous, it’s practically another one of the country’s national dishes.
You’ll love this recipe if you prefer a potato salad that is somewhat sour. Although the potatoes, black olives, and onions provide an earthy foundation, the green olives, gherkins, Dijon mustard, and vinegar lend a sour, zesty taste that is truly one of a kind.
16. Romanian Pork and Potato Stew
If you’re a fan of beef stew, this stew is for you. Although it calls for pork in place of beef, it bears many similarities to beef stew.
You will incorporate onions, potatoes, and many herbs and seasonings. You can pair it with Romanian country bread for an amazing experience, but many Romanians enjoy it with mamaliga instead.
17. Mucenici
Mucenici is a distinctive Romanian dish. It’s customary to enjoy it each year on March 9 to observe the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, a religious commemoration.
This recipe is half pasta and half soup with a completely delicious flavor. This dish has a flavor that is somewhat sweet and nutty, and it’s also vegan-friendly.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of this recipe is how you get to shape the pasta. If you have children, they’ll love helping.
Mucenici is sure to be a hit as either a dessert or main course.
18. Romanian Sausage Stew
The polenta can be viewed as the potato equivalent of this recipe, and for that reason, I believe that Romanian sausage stew is akin to steak and potatoes. In reality, it’s a better option for breakfast.
The sausage, fried egg, and polenta surely reveal that fact. This recipe is just the thing if you want a filling breakfast with all of your favorite flavors.
19. Zacusca (Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip)
If you are a fan of tomatoes and eggplant, you will love zacusca, which is Romania’s take on salsa. Zacusca must be made with white onions, red bell peppers (paprika peppers also work), tomatoes, eggplant, oil, and a bay leaf.
To suit your tastes, you can also add salt and pepper, plus a tablespoon of honey to subtly sweeten it, and even jalapeno peppers if you want to kick up the heat. You could use tomato sauce instead of tomatoes, although it is not optimal.
Because they give the zacusca a chunkier, more hearty texture, the fresh tomatoes are more delicious. Use it with pita bread, crackers, or chips like salsa.
You can use it with bagels or baguettes, too. Consider canning this recipe if you prefer, so you can prepare a large batch.
20. Mushroom and Mayo Salad
People in Romania typically enjoy this cold salad on New Year’s Eve, though it also works at any time with some toasted baguette or crackers. On top of that, it’s simple to prepare.
This recipe requires very little other than chopping and mixing, so all you’ll need is mayonnaise, mushrooms, garlic, and dill. Although it takes about 10 minutes to prepare, you should chill it prior to serving.