This traditional Istrian stew-like soup is prepared with kidney beans, potatoes, and sweet corn, locally named bobići. Maneštra od bobići is cooked with the addition of dried pork meat, and for extra flavor, when the beans and corn are almost fully cooked, the dish is finished with the so-called pešt, a special kind of mash made with bacon fat, garlic, and parsley.

Apart from the amazing flavor and aroma, this finishing touch also adds a nice thickness to the soup, making it a meal in itself, best enjoyed with some sourdough country-style bread.

Istarska jota is an old dish that has been considered a poor man’s meal in the past. It is made with simple ingredients such as beans, sauerkraut or sour turnips, potatoes, bacon, spare ribs, onions, and garlic. All of the ingredients are seasoned with a few selected spices.

The only constants of the dish are sauerkraut and olive oil, an unusual blend of Mediterranean and Central European influences on the region. This stew or thick soup is extremely popular in Istria and north-western Croatia, but also in parts of Slovenia and north-eastern Italy, specifically the territories that were under the Austro-Hungarian rule.

This comforting bean stew made with shredded pickled turnip (kisela repa) or sauerkraut (kiselo zelje) is traditionally prepared in northern parts of Croatia. To prepare it, dried beans are soaked overnight, boiled with smoked pork shin or ribs and bacon until cooked, then combined with pickled vegetables.

The final touch lies in the thickening with a mixture of fried crushed garlic and a small amount of flour. Grah s kiselom repom is best enjoyed with slices of crusty homemade bread, and it tastes even better when paired with cooked sausages.

Istrian maneštra is a Croatian take on the popular Italian minestrone soup. This hearty and thick stew-like soup is made with dried meat, beans, and spring corn. There are numerous variations on the dish, so maneštra is typically served as the first course when dried meat is omitted, and if it is prepared with meat, the dish is then usually served as a main course.

Carrots, celery, turnips, onions, and tomatoes can all be used in maneštra, which is often flavored with parsley, black pepper, olive oil, and bay leaves. There is also the annual Maneštra Festival in the county of Gračišće. 

Krčka maneštra is a traditional dish originating from the island of Krk. This type of maneštra is usually made with a combination of beans, corn, potatoes, carrots, rice, bacon, lard, onions, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and a prosciutto bone.

The beans are soaked and cooked in water with the prosciutto bone, corn, potatoes, carrots, and onions. After some time, the garlic, bacon, parsley, salt, pepper, and rice are added to the pot and the mixture is simmered until everything is tender.

Maneštra is then served warm and enjoyed with slices of homemade bread on the side.

Saganlija is a traditional dish originating from Pakrac. This stew is usually made with a combination of beans (bolozan or prebranac is the best option), onions, garlic, pumpkin seed oil, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. The beans are soaked overnight and drained in the morning before they’re cooked in water for a few minutes and drained again.

Pumpkin seed oil is poured into a deep and wide pan, and it’s then layered with chopped onions, beans, salt, pepper, and garlic. The process is repeated four times, while bay leaves are placed in between the second and third layers. Water is poured into the pot, and the dish is simmered for three to four hours without stirring. 

Batuda or primorski lonac is a traditional dish originating from the Kvarner and Primorje area. This one-pot stew was a working-class staple in the past and it's usually made with a combination of barley, corn, kidney beans, potatoes, carrots, tomato purée, salt, black pepper, parsley, and various cured meat products such as pešt (bacon, garlic, and parsley), pork ribs, or pork belly.

The beans, barley, corn, carrots, pork ribs, potatoes, and parsley are cooked, and then mixed with the tomato purée and pešt. When the meat is almost done, it's removed from the pot, cut into smaller pieces, then returned to the pot and cooked for another hour.