Easy Tomato Stew (veggie-packed)
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This easy tomato stew makes a deliciously filling vegetarian meal in just one pot. It’s made with canned tomatoes, vegetables, dried herbs, and spices.
It’s healthy, economical, and packed with veggies. Serve it with rice or these crusty panini rolls; you can call it dinner!
I love easy, flexible vegetarian recipes; this tomato stew is no exception.
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Together with these delicious potato stew and chickpea stew, It’s one of our staples in this rainy weather, and great for using up leftover vegetables and convenient pantry staples.
In this recipe, I used canned tomatoes, a mix of carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, and a handful of frozen peas. I’ve also added cumin, Italian seasoning, and dried basil to enhance the rich tomato broth.
The medley of vegetables and herbs creates a thick, filling, budget-friendly family meal. It’s so simple yet delicious!
It’s also vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free for all to enjoy.
List of the ingredients
- Canned tomatoes (I used Mutti whole peeled tomatoes)
- Vegetables (onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, frozen peas)
- Spices (paprika, cumin, chili flakes)
- Herbs (Italian seasoning, dried basil)
- Low-sodium vegetable broth
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
How to make tomato stew
- Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in carrots and celery.
- Add potatoes, spices, herbs, and another drizzle of olive oil, and stir well.
- Add tomatoes and tomato paste.
- Stir in the broth, salt, and pepper and boil over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and let it simmer.
- After 30 minutes, stir in the peas and cook for another 3 minutes. Done!
Recipe Notes
Tomato stew ingredients
Canned tomatoes: I used Mutti whole peeled tomatoes with their juice. Make sure you use good quality canned tomatoes. Both diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes are fine for this recipe.
Vegetables: I used cheap and widely available veggies that you’ll likely have in your fridge on weekdays. If they’re slightly wrinkly or floppy, they’re totally fine for the recipe; don’t waste them.
Spices: paprika, cumin, and a touch of chili flakes add depth of flavor to the tomato stew broth. But skip the chili flakes if they’re not your thing.
Herbs: I used Italian seasoning, dried basil, and fresh parsley. If you don’t have parsley, feel free to skip it.
How to serve it
This tomato stew makes a hearty, filling meal and goes well with crusty bread or rice. I usually serve mine with these easy panini rolls, this easy focaccia, or whole grain rice for a more balanced meal.
Make a big batch and freeze it!
If you want to make a big batch, this tomato stew freezes really well. I suggest dividing the stew into single portions, cooling it completely in the refrigerator overnight, and then transferring it to the freezer.
Tomato stew variations
This recipe is very flexible and adaptable, and a few add-ins are welcome to make this dish more filling and nourishing.
- Plant-based protein: You can use canned chickpeas, lentils, or white beans instead of peas. Drain and add them with the potatoes, and adjust the broth ratio according to the desired consistency (you might want a little more broth).
- Add your leafy greens! You can stir fresh baby spinach or kale in the last couple of minutes of cooking time, and they will wilt quickly.
More tomato recipes
Are you looking for more recipes that use convenient canned tomatoes? I’ve got you covered with this collection of 32 delicious recipes with canned tomatoes!
Below are a few of my faves:
- Pasta Napoletana
- Easy tomato soup
- Penne arrabbiata
- Spicy tomato lentil soup
- Pasta puttanesca
- Chickpea tomato soup
Let me know if you make this easy tomato stew or have any questions! Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it.
I would love to hear from you!
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Easy tomato stew
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium-sized onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 1 lb potatoes, cut into small chunks
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
- 1 can tomatoes (whole peeled, crushed or diced)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
- ¾ tsp salt
- ⅙ tsp black pepper
- ⅔ cup peas
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or large pot heat 1 ½ Tbsp of the olive oil. When the oil starts shimmering add the onion and the garlic, stir and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in carrots, celery, potatoes, spices, herbs, ½ Tbsp of olive and give a good stir until the vegetables are well coated with paprika.
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, broth (or hot water), salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- After 30 minutes stir in the frozen peas and cook for about 3 minutes or until tender. Turn the heat off, smash a few potatoes with a back of a wooden spoon to thiken the tomato sauce, and let it rest for 3-4 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning and the consistency to your liking. You might want to add a touch of water if the stew is too thick.
- Divide into four bowls, drizzle with some olive oil, and sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and fresh parsley if you wish. Serve with crusty bread or steamed rice on the side.
This was incredibly delicious with wonderful flavors. I substituted frozen butternut squash cubes as I didn’t have potatoes. Thank you for sharing this gem!
You’re so welcome, Judy! I’m very pleased to hear it was delicious, thanks so much for your lovely feedback. x
Thanks for this recipe, we love it and it’s quickly become a staple in our home! 😊🙏
Thanks for taking the time to share your great feedback, Emma. That’s so appreciated. : )
I have my own recipe for something similar. I use the following ingredients: 2cans tomato soup, 1can diced tomato, approximately 1 cup of cherry tomatoes cut in half, 1/2 red onion sliced then cross cut into chunks, 1 yellow onion sliced and chunked , 3 bell peppers,green, red, and orange, cleaned, seeded, thin inner tissue removed, then sliced and chunked, one package frozen peas, one package of frozen green beans chop smaller if needed, 3 fresh carrots cleaned, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch coins, 3 large and long celery stocks cleaned, cut in half, then 1/4 inch chunks, fresh sliced mushrooms, washed, then chucked, fresh kale washed and chucked, set all this aside cover with a plate or plastic wrap. In a large pot take 1 pound each of ground turkey and pork. crumble into pot, brown on medium temperature until tender. now add the tomato- vegetable stock bowl. stir in slowly so nothing is dropped in the transfer. now add half a teaspoon of each spice, ground onion, ground sage, smoked paprika, garlic powder, garlic pepper, basil, Italian seasoning, salt free seasoning, spaghetti seasoning, and oregano. cook
at medium to high temperature until well mixed. about 15 to 20 minutes. . reduce temperature to medium. stir frequently so nothing gets burned for another 30 to 35 minutes. you are ready to serve!!! any left overs cool completely , then pour into an air tight plastic container. can be kept frozen for up to 3 months. if your real hungry pour your tomatoe / ground meat stew over a batch of spaghetti or macaroni! Enjoy and thank you for wading through this long but deliciously excellent recipe.I am a retired professional master chef and I just love developing new recipes for any home chef to try and hopefully love. Happy Cooking, Kathleen L Wood ( Kat)
That’s great, Kathleen. Thanks for sharing and happy cooking to you, too! x
Excited to make this recipe! Making my grocery list and just have one question. What size can of tomatoes? 14oz or 28oz?
Hi Page! It’s 14oz can. : )
Paige: that’s 1cup of cherry tomatoes and 1 10 to 15 Oz of chopped tomatoes.
This was really good! Only problem was The ingredients list is missing the peas so I had no idea how much to use.
Thanks so much for sharing, Amber!
I’m so pleased it turned out good and so sorry for the oversight (will amend right now! : )
Thanks again. x
Very tasty. I substituted cauliflower for the potatoes and thought that worked very well although it doesn’t thicken. Great flavors – the herb/spice combination is spot on,
I’m so glad to hear that, Samantha!
Thanks so much for sharing your lovely feedback : )