blaZest
Slovenian Statehood Day is a good reason to put something homemade, familiar and a little more festive on the table. Not the kind of complicated plate that needs tweezers, three sauces and the steady hand of a surgeon, but Slovenian classics that smell like Sunday lunch, family gatherings and that quiet feeling when everything slows down for a moment.
If Slovenia had a flavour, it would smell like beef soup, roasted potatoes, roast pork, fried chicken, jota stew and homemade side dishes. This is a menu for a shorter holiday week, when we do not overcomplicate things, but cook dishes people actually love to eat.
Slovenian lunch without panic
This menu was created for the first week of summer holidays, when the working week is shorter because of the national holiday and the kitchen can also breathe a little. Instead of seven new quick lunches, this is one stronger article: a collection of homemade, classic and reliable dishes you can cook for Slovenian Statehood Day, Sunday lunch or a family holiday table.
The recipes are written so that even someone who does not cook every day can follow them. Each dish includes a more detailed method, because classic home cooking is not about being complicated. It is about understanding the order: what goes into the pot first, when to lower the heat, when to season and when to simply leave the food alone.
Suggested festive menu
For a more homestyle week
Monday: beef soup, roast pork and roasted potatoes
Tuesday: fried chicken with potato salad
Wednesday: Wiener-style cutlet, roasted potatoes and salad
Thursday: jota with Carniolan sausage
For the end of the week
Friday: trout with potatoes and chard
Saturday: roast pork with young potatoes and carrots
Sunday: boiled beef from soup, roasted potatoes and apple horseradish
Beef soup, roast pork and roasted potatoes
This is a lunch with the status of a Slovenian Sunday institution. Beef soup slowly does its thing, the roast brings that proper smell of home, and roasted potatoes make the table go quiet very quickly.
Ingredients
- 700 g beef for soup
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 piece of celery root or parsley root
- 1 bay leaf
- a few peppercorns
- salt to taste
- 600 g boneless pork loin or pork neck
- 1 kg potatoes
- 1 large onion for roasted potatoes
- 3 tablespoons oil or lard
- pepper to taste
Method
- Place the beef in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Cold water is important because the flavour of the meat will slowly release into the soup.
- When the water comes to a boil, lower the heat. Use a spoon to remove the foam that gathers on top. The soup should not boil vigorously, it should only gently simmer.
- Add the carrot, onion, celery root or parsley root, bay leaf, pepper and salt to taste. Cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Season the pork for roasting with salt to taste and pepper to taste. Place it in a baking dish, add a little water and roast at 180 °C for about 1 hour, or until nicely browned.
- Boil the potatoes, either with the skin on or peeled. Once cooked, cut them into slices.
- Fry the chopped onion in the fat until soft and golden brown. Add the sliced potatoes, salt to taste and pepper to taste.
- Roast the potatoes slowly so they catch a little on the bottom and develop flavour. Turn them occasionally, but do not stir constantly, or they will turn into mashed potatoes.
- Strain the soup, slice the beef, let the roast rest for a few minutes, then cut it into slices. Serve with the soup, potatoes and salad.
Fried chicken with potato salad
Fried chicken is one of those dishes that instantly creates a festive feeling. It does not need much on the side: a good potato salad, a little patience with breading and oil that is not too hot.
Ingredients
- 800 g chicken pieces
- 2 eggs
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 150 g breadcrumbs
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- oil for frying
- 800 g potatoes
- 1 small onion
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- a little warm water or soup
Method
- First boil the potatoes with the skin on. Cook them until you can pierce them with a knife, but they should not fall apart.
- Let the cooked potatoes cool slightly, peel them and cut them into thin slices. Add the finely chopped onion.
- In a small bowl, mix oil, vinegar, mustard, sour cream, salt to taste and a little warm water or soup. Pour over the potatoes and gently mix.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel. Season them with salt to taste and pepper to taste.
- Prepare three plates: place flour on the first, beaten eggs on the second and breadcrumbs on the third.
- Coat each piece of chicken first in flour, then in egg and finally in breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs lightly onto the meat.
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. If the oil is too hot, the crust will brown too quickly while the meat remains raw.
- Fry the chicken slowly, about 8 to 12 minutes per side, depending on the size of the pieces. Larger pieces need more time.
- Place the fried pieces on a paper towel and serve with potato salad.
Wiener-style cutlet, roasted potatoes and seasonal salad
For Slovenian Statehood Day, you can confidently place a Wiener-style cutlet on the table. It may not be the most original dish in the world, but it is one of those dishes people click, cook and eat without getting lost in a philosophical roundabout.
Ingredients
- 4 pork or veal cutlets
- 2 eggs
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 150 g breadcrumbs
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- oil for frying
- 900 g potatoes
- 1 large onion
- 3 tablespoons oil or lard
- seasonal salad
- vinegar and oil for the salad
Method
- Boil the potatoes until soft. You can cook them with the skin on or peeled, depending on your habit.
- Place the cutlets between two pieces of cling film and gently pound them until thinner. Do not pound them with anger, the meat is not responsible for your day.
- Season the cutlets with salt to taste and pepper to taste.
- Prepare the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs. Coat each cutlet first in flour, then in egg and finally in breadcrumbs.
- Cut the cooked potatoes into slices. Slice the onion thinly or chop it.
- Fry the onion in oil, add the potatoes, salt to taste and pepper to taste. Roast slowly until the potatoes brown nicely.
- Heat the oil for frying in a pan. Fry the cutlets over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Wash the salad, dry it and season with vinegar, oil and salt to taste.
- Serve the cutlets immediately, with roasted potatoes and salad on the side.
Jota with Carniolan sausage
Jota is a dish that does not look for attention, but gets it anyway. It is thick, homemade, filling and perfect for the day after a holiday, when nobody feels like building lunch from five different pots.
Ingredients
- 500 g sauerkraut or sour turnip
- 300 g potatoes
- 250 g cooked beans
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 Carniolan sausage
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Method
- Peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes and place them in a pot with water. Cook until soft.
- In another pot, fry the chopped onion in oil. Fry it slowly until soft and lightly golden.
- Add the chopped garlic and sweet paprika. Stir for just a few seconds until fragrant. The garlic must not brown, because it becomes bitter.
- Add the sauerkraut or sour turnip, bay leaves and enough water to cover everything. Cook for about 35 to 40 minutes.
- When the potatoes are cooked, partially mash them with a fork. This will naturally thicken the jota.
- Add the potatoes to the cabbage, then add the cooked beans. If the jota is too thick, add a little water.
- Cook the Carniolan sausage separately or add it to the jota for the last 15 minutes of cooking.
- Taste the jota and only now add more salt if needed, because sauerkraut and sausage are already salty.
- Serve hot, with slices of sausage on top if desired.
Trout with potatoes and chard
After meat classics, a lighter lunch feels good. Trout, boiled potatoes and chard are a simple combination that feels fresh, homemade and festive enough if served nicely on the plate.
Ingredients
- 4 cleaned trout
- 800 g potatoes
- 500 g chard
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- a little flour for the fish, optional
Method
- Peel the potatoes, cut them into larger pieces and boil them in salted water until soft.
- Wash the chard. Cut the thicker stems into smaller pieces and leave the leaves larger.
- Pat the trout dry with a paper towel and score the skin a few times. Season them inside and outside with salt to taste and pepper to taste.
- If you want crispier skin, dust the trout very lightly with flour. Shake off any excess flour.
- Heat oil in a pan and cook the fish over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side, depending on size.
- Quickly boil or sauté the chard. Then mix it with olive oil and chopped garlic.
- Drain the cooked potatoes and mix them with the chard. Add a little more salt to taste if needed.
- Serve the trout with the chard, potatoes and a slice of lemon.
Roast pork with young potatoes and carrots
Saturday roast is a great choice because the oven does most of the work. You prepare the ingredients, season them, then simply check from time to time what is happening in the baking dish.
Ingredients
- 800 g boneless pork loin or pork neck
- 800 g young potatoes
- 4 carrots
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 100 ml water or stock
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Method
- Pat the meat dry and rub it well with salt to taste, pepper to taste and marjoram.
- Wash the young potatoes well. If they have thin skins, you do not need to peel them. Cut larger pieces in half.
- Peel the carrots and cut them into larger sticks. Cut the onion into wedges and lightly crush the garlic with a knife.
- Place the roast in a baking dish and arrange the potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic around it.
- Drizzle everything with oil and pour a little water or stock into the baking dish. The liquid helps keep the dish from drying out.
- Roast at 180 °C for about 75 to 90 minutes. During roasting, spoon the juices from the dish over the meat a few times.
- If the potatoes brown too quickly, loosely cover the baking dish with aluminium foil.
- After roasting, let the meat rest for 10 minutes. Then slice it and serve with the vegetables from the baking dish.
Boiled beef from soup, roasted potatoes and apple horseradish
This is a Sunday classic that can turn one soup into a full lunch. Boiled beef from soup, roasted potatoes and apple horseradish prove that good homemade cooking does not need much noise.
Ingredients
- boiled beef from soup
- 900 g potatoes
- 1 large onion
- 3 tablespoons oil or lard
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 2 larger apples
- 2 tablespoons grated horseradish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar, optional
Method
- Take the boiled beef out of the soup and cut it into slices. If it has cooled, you can warm it in a little soup.
- Boil the potatoes until soft, then cut them into slices.
- Slice the onion and slowly fry it in oil or lard until soft and golden brown.
- Add the potatoes, salt to taste and pepper to taste. Roast them slowly until nicely browned.
- For the apple horseradish, peel and grate the apples. Immediately drizzle them with lemon juice so they do not turn brown.
- Add the grated horseradish and a little sugar if desired. Mix and taste. If you want a stronger flavour, add a little more horseradish.
- Place the slices of beef on a plate, add roasted potatoes and a spoonful of apple horseradish.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best lunch for Slovenian Statehood Day?
The safest choice is a classic Slovenian festive lunch: beef soup, Wiener-style cutlet or roast pork, roasted potatoes and seasonal salad. These are dishes most people know, so they are a reliable choice for a family table.
Can part of the lunch be prepared one day in advance?
Yes. Beef soup, jota, potatoes for potato salad and some side dishes can be prepared in advance. With a festive lunch, the biggest win is good organisation, not rushing in the last 20 minutes.
Which dish should I choose if I am not an experienced cook?
The easiest choice is jota or oven-roasted pork with young potatoes. These dishes do not have many sensitive steps, just follow the order and do not overdo the heat.
What should I cook if I do not want a heavy meat lunch?
Trout with potatoes and chard is a lighter, fresher and still festive enough choice. It is also good for a summer week when we do not want food that feels too heavy.
Final thought: homemade lunch still has its charm
Slovenian Statehood Day does not have to be a day for complicated recipes. Sometimes the best tribute to a home table is to cook something we know, understand and gladly eat. Beef soup, roasted potatoes, roast pork, jota, trout and apple horseradish are not just dishes, but a small culinary reminder that homemade cooking still has strong character.
If you are looking for an idea for a festive or Sunday lunch, start here. One good dish, one big bowl of salad and a little more time at the table. That is more than enough.
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