01Sauté onion
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook gently, stirring, until the onions are very soft and translucent, about 10–15 minutes.
Overview
Sataraš is a beloved summer vegetable stew popular throughout Croatia and the Balkans. It is made with ripe tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, and onions simmered together until meltingly tender. The result has a gentle, comforting sweetness reminiscent of Hungarian lecsó or Turkish menemen . For many Croatians, sataraš evokes memories of home cooking: simple ingredients slowly combining into a richly flavored sauce.
It can be eaten on its own with crusty bread, served over polenta, or paired with grilled meat and eggs (a fried egg on top makes it a complete meal). This humble dish highlights how summertime vegetables can become a hearty, satisfying stew. In Bosnia and Herzegovina it’s often called satarash , and it varies by region – some versions include a dash of paprika, others swirl in beaten egg at the end – but the core of peppers, tomatoes, and onions remains the same.