Plant-Based Recipe for Greek Potato Stew: A Heartwarming Mediterranean Staple

Globally, kitchen enthusiasts often find themselves turn a basic purchase of potatoes into a satisfying evening meal. My personal cooking adventures could result in a spicy Sri Lankan potato curry, a savory Gujarati version, or even a slow-cooked Spanish tortilla for a special occasion. On this occasion, however, the answer comes from Greece. Yahni denotes a time-honored Greek culinary style: vegetables slow-cooked amply in olive oil and tomatoes until wonderfully yielding. It’s more than a recipe—it’s a endorsement of the simple, the slow, and the truly delicious (and yes, it also makes a wonderful dinner).

Potato Yahni

Dish this up with a rustic loaf or soft flatbreads for a hearty meal. It also works wonderfully with a few picky bits or even crowned with a sunny-side-up egg for a remarkable breakfast.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 people

You Will Need

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• Fine sea salt
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1kg desiree potatoes (or other waxy variety), cut into 2½cm wedges
• 2 tsp dried oregano, plus extra for garnish
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 x 400g tins of finely chopped tomatoes
• 150g feta cheese
• 75g Greek yoghurt
• 1 lemon, finely zested, plus 1 tbsp of juice
• 80g pitted kalamata olives

Instructions

Step One

Pour five tablespoons of olive oil in a wide, deep-sided pan that has a cover. Set it over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced red onion and a teaspoon of salt. Fry, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the onion is yielding enough to be cut a wooden spoon.

Step Two

Add the minced garlic and cook for about two minutes more, while stirring. Then, incorporate the potato wedges and oregano, mixing until they are evenly covered in the oil. Mix in the tomato puree and cook for one minute. Tip in the chopped tomatoes along with 400ml of water. Let it come to a boil, then cover it, turn down the heat to a steady bubble, and leave to cook for 20 minutes.

Step Three

Meanwhile, whizz up the whipped feta. In a small bowl with a hand blender, blitz the feta, Greek yoghurt, lemon zest and juice, three tablespoons of olive oil, and a couple of good pinches of salt until the mixture is luxuriously creamy.

4. Final Simmer

Mix the pitted kalamata olives into the potato stew. Continue to simmer with the lid off for a further 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife and the sauce has thickened nicely.

Step Five

Serve the hot yahni into shallow bowls. Crown each with a healthy dollop of the whipped feta and a dusting of dried oregano.

The stew is a testament to the power of basic produce turned into something special by patient cooking. Savor!