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Writer's pictureCulinary Cam

Šelinka, A Slovenian Celery Stew #EattheWorld

Welcome to the February 2023 event of our #EattheWorld project, being spearheaded by Evelyne of CulturEatz. Here's her challenge. This month she has us heading, by tabletop, to Slovenia.


On the Map

Okay, I can admit that I had to remind myself where Slovenia was on that map. I mean, when I took a Geography class in high school, it wasn't a sovereign nation. For most of the 20th century, Slovenia was a part of Yugoslavia. For a majority of its history, the country was controlled by the Habsburgs of Austria and the coastal lands were ruled, for a time, by Venice. When the Yugoslav federation fell in 1991, a multi-party democratic political system emerged. Here are some fun facts to know...


  • There are more than 10,000 caves in Slovenia. The best known, Postojna, runs for around 12 miles.

  • Slovenians love their wine. In fact, there’s a vineyard for every 70 people throughout the country. And the world's oldest vine is located in Maribor. Žametovka is a red grape variety that dates back over 400-years and still produces grapes today.

  • Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana, translates to 'The Loved One.'


The Other Offerings

Here are the other Slovenia dishes from the #EattheWorld bloggers...



In My Bowl

Šelinka, or šjelna, is a Slovenian celery soup originating from the Vipava area. Traditionally it was served as an easy dinner, accompanied by polenta. I couldn't really find a recipe despite being able to find plenty of photos. So I just made up my own process, using celery root, celery stalks, and celery leaves. And I served it with toasted bread instead of polenta.


Ingredients


  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil

  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

  • 2 cups celeriac, peeled and diced

  • 1 cup celery, diced plus at least 2 Tablespoons celery leaves, chopped

  • 1 cup potatoes, diced

  • 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

  • 4 cups vegetable stock

  • 1 cup white wine

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • crumbled sheep's milk cheese for serving (optional)


Procedure

  1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add in the garlic and heat until aromatic, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.

  2. Stir in the celery root and cook until fork tender, approximately 15 minutes. Add in the celery and potatoes.

  3. Pour in the stock and wine. Bring liquid to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, approximately 15 minutes.

  4. Add in the beans and simmer until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in the celery leaves, reserving a few for garnish.

  5. Spoon into individual serving bowls. Top with crumbled sheep's milk cheese, if using. Garnish with a few more celery leaves.



That's a wrap for my Slovenian offering for February's Eat the World. I can't wait to see where Evelyne has us headed next month. Stay tuned!

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2 Comments


Wendy Klik
Wendy Klik
Feb 12, 2023

Kudos to you for making your own take on this soup.

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Camilla M. Mann
Camilla M. Mann
Mar 19, 2023
Replying to

Thanks, Wendy. It was really delicious. I can't wait to make it again soon.

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