Vegetable Stew with Pesto
Submitted by lkuhns
Provencal-style vegetable stew with roasted peppers, salted eggplant, zucchini, and potatoes simmered in a pesto-spiked tomato broth. Topped with Parmesan, basil, and parsley.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsThink ratatouille’s heartier, more substantial cousin.
This Provencal-inspired stew brings together salted eggplant, fire-blistered bell peppers, zucchini, potatoes, and loads of tomatoes in one big pot.
The twist? A spoonful of basil pesto stirred into the broth that threads a garlicky, herby richness through every spoonful.
A shower of grated Parmesan, fresh basil, and parsley on top finishes it with a fragrant, salty bite.
Chef Tips
- Salt the eggplant cubes and let them drain for a full hour. This pulls out bitter moisture and gives you eggplant that browns instead of steams.
- Char the peppers until the skins are truly blackened, then steam them in a paper bag. The skins slip right off and the flesh underneath is smoky and sweet.
- Use fresh tomatoes when they’re in season, canned when they’re not. Out-of-season fresh tomatoes will taste like cardboard.
- Stir the pesto into the broth rather than adding it at the end. Simmering it with the vegetables lets the basil flavor permeate the whole stew.
Ingredients
Directions
In a colander set in the sink, toss eggplant cubes with Kosher salt.
Drain for 1 hour.
Wipe eggplant dry with paper towels. While eggplant is draining, arrange green and red peppers on a baking tray.
Broil 3 inch from heat until skins are evenly blistered red and charred about 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionaly.
Seal hot peppers in a paper bag for 10 minutes.
Peel, seed and cut peppers in strips, holding them over a bowl to catch any juices.
In a 6 quart nonreactive pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add onions and cook until transparent, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add eggplant and garlic.
Cook until eggplant starts to brown, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add tomatoes, zucchini, peppers with any juices, potatoes and chicken broth combined with the pesto.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Mix gently.
Bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 40 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Combine Parmesean Cheese, chopped basil, and chopped parsley.
Sprinkle atop stew.
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