What You'll Need
Scale
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 white or yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste (optional)
- 2 large potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 medium eggplant, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into cut into 1-inch pieces
- 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large red, yellow, or green pepper, seeds removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1/2 cup chopped basil
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves
- Finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino, for garnish
- Day-old or olive-oil toasted bread, cooked polenta, or cooked orzo, for serving
What You'll Do
- In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, chopped onion, salt, pepper and red pepper. Stir and let brown.
- Add each vegetable to the pot and stir, starting with the ones that will take the longest to cook: potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, green beans and red pepper. Once your last vegetable is added to the pot, add your two cans of crushed tomatoes and 1 cup of broth and stir until combined. Place the cover on your pot and let it simmer over medium for about 25 minutes. Be sure to stir the stew a few times as it simmers.
- Once the vegetables are-fork tender, add your tomatoes and basil. Stir to combine and let simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 3 more minutes, allowing your tomatoes to wilt slightly.
- Taste your stew and adjust flavors, adding more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes to taste.
- Serve hot or cold alongside chunks of day-old bread (this is the Bimpy way), olive oil-toasted bread, cheesy polenta, or creamy orzo pasta. And of course, topped with grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.