There are jars of lutenitsa in every Bulgarian kitchen, every Romanian kitchen, and — if you know what you're doing — on every well-stocked condiment shelf in between. Deroni is the brand most people reach for. I am not most people.

This lutenitsa recipe is my version: fire-roasted on the barbecue, blended to a rough, honest texture, and made with olive oil and honey instead of the sunflower oil and sugar you'll find in the commercial version. Not quite Deroni. Nearly.

If you know Ajvar, lutenitsa is its Bulgarian cousin — similar territory, the smell of a good char, roasted red peppers at the heart of it — but lutenitsa brings tomatoes into the mix, which changes everything. Sweeter, more complex, spreadable in a way that makes you want something to spread it on immediately. Rosa, my neighbour, pointed me towards Barcelona's version — escalivada — which takes the same fire-roasted logic in a different direction entirely. In my case, this batch went on buckwheat sourdough with a round of goats cheese. I have no regrets.

What Is Lutenitsa?

Lutenitsa (sometimes spelled lyutenitsa) is a cooked relish made from roasted red peppers, tomatoes, and aubergine, popular across Bulgaria, Romania, and the wider Balkans. The name comes from the Bulgarian word lyut — meaning spicy or hot — though most versions are mild, with the heat coming from depth of flavour rather than chilli.

It originated in Bulgaria around 1930 during the growth of the national vegetable canning industry, created as a way to preserve the summer harvest through winter. Every family has their version. Unlike Serbian Ajvar, traditional Bulgarian lutenitsa always includes tomatoes — that's what gives it the extra sweetness and body.

There are two broad styles: chunky village-style, rustic and spoonable with visible vegetable pieces; and smooth city-style, puréed and glossy. This one sits between the two — some texture, not completely smooth.

Nearly Deroni Lutenitsa Recipe

Makes: Two jars
Time: About an hour, including charring time

Ingredients

• 1 large red pepper
• 1 aubergine
• 4 tomatoes (round or plum, or a mix)
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• Half a head of garlic, cloves unpeeled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1–2 tbsp red wine vinegar, to taste
• Salt and black pepper

Method

Fire up the BBQ. Get it good and hot. Place the red pepper, aubergine, tomatoes, and unpeeled garlic cloves directly on the grill. You want proper char — blackened skin, collapsing flesh. Turn as needed. The tomatoes will go first; the aubergine and pepper will take longer. Remove each as it's ready and set aside to cool.

Soften the onion. In a heavy pan over a low heat, warm the olive oil and cook the onion slowly until soft and sweet — about 15 minutes. Don't rush it.

Peel and prep. Once cool enough to handle, peel the charred skins from the pepper, aubergine, and tomatoes. Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins. Don't be precious about removing every last bit of char — a little goes into the relish and that's the point.

Blend. Add the peeled vegetables and garlic to the pan with the softened onion. Use a stick blender to blitz to your preferred texture — some body, not completely smooth.

Season and finish. Stir in the smoked paprika, honey, and red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust — more vinegar if it needs lifting, more honey if it needs rounding. Season generously with salt and black pepper.

Cook down. Return the pan to a low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20–25 minutes until the relish has thickened and the flavours have come together.

Jar. Spoon into sterilised jars while hot. One for now, one for Rosa.

How to Serve Lutenitsa

On buckwheat sourdough with a round of goats cheese — not the soft kind. That's where this batch went first.

It also works alongside grilled meats, stirred through pasta, spooned over eggs, or as part of a meze spread with rakia and good bread. Bulgarians eat it for breakfast, which is reason enough to make a second jar.

Keep in the fridge once opened.

This homemade lutenitsa recipe is part of the Nearly Series — cupboard classics made from scratch in a Spanish kitchen — and my Vegetable, Fruit & Pulses Recipes collection.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper produce, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef