This easy, hearty tomato stew makes a filling vegetarian family meal. It's made with convenient canned tomatoes, leftover vegetables, and a touch of spices and dried herbs. It's healthy, economical, easy to make in one pot, and tastes delicious!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time35 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: stew
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Tomato stew
Servings: 4
Calories: 247kcal
Author: Katia
Ingredients
2Tbspolive oil
1medium-sized onion, diced
4garlic cloves, pressed
3carrots, sliced
2celery ribs, sliced
1 lb potatoes, cut into small chunks
½tspcumin
1tsppaprika
1tspdried basil
1tspItalian herb seasoning
1can tomatoes (whole peeled, crushed or diced)
2Tbsptomato paste
1 ½ cuplow-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
¾tspsalt
⅙tspblack pepper
⅔ cuppeas
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.
Notes
Onion: I used red onion, but both white or yellow onion are fine.Broth: if you use chicken or vegetable broth rather than water or low-sodium broth, it’s important to adjust the seasoning at the end and not at the beginning, as you don't know how salty the broth is. Storage: this tomato stew will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, add a touch of water until it’s thinned to the desired consistency, then gently warm over medium-low heat. It’s also freezable.Recipe variations: for more plant-based protein, you can add either 1 can of chickpeas, 1 can of white beans or 1 can (or 3/4 - 1 cup of dried lentils). Rinse, drain and add them to the recipe when you add the potatoes. Whatever pulses you decide to use, make sure to adjust the quantity of broth ratio accordingly. The dried lentils needs more liquid than canned beans. Add broth until you get the desired consistency.Nutrition facts: the nutrition values are for one serving and are based on an online nutrition calculator (the final drizzle of olive oil is not included). It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.