Categories: Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small eggplants
- 3 large tomatoes
- 4 medium zucchini
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 medium orange bell pepper
- 1 medium red onion
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee, separated
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup red wine, or vegetable stock
- 2 small bay leaves
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper
- ⅓ cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
- Olive oil, goat cheese crumbles, and red pepper flakes, for toppings
Directions
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Cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes, place in a colander over the sink or a bowl, and salt liberally. Let the eggplant drain while you prep the other vegetables.
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Cut tomatoes and zucchini into 1-inch cubes/chunks, and set aside in separate bowls.
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Roughly chop peppers and onions into 1-inch pieces and set aside in a separate bowl.
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In a Dutch oven or large stainless steel pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter or ghee over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and season liberally with salt and pepper. Sauté until it begins to soften and brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from pot and place in a large bowl.
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Add peppers and onions to the pan, season liberally with salt and pepper, and sauté until softened, another 8-10 minutes. While peppers and onions are cooking, rinse eggplant in cool water and set aside to drain once more.
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Add garlic to peppers and onions, and cook one additional minute, stirring constantly. Remove and add mixture to the large bowl with zucchini.
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By now the bottom of your pan may have developed browned bits. If bits begin to burn, de-glaze the pan with a few splashes of red wine or stock in between cooking vegetables. Just before adding eggplant to the dish, squeeze pieces gently between a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture.
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Melt 2 more tablespoons butter or ghee, add eggplant, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until beginning to soften and brown, 5-6 minutes, stirring often. Add tomatoes and wine or stock, scraping up brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
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Return all vegetables to pan, along with bay leaves, thyme, and additional salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours, until all vegetables are softened, and the mixture is reduced. The longer the vegetables are cooked, the more flavor they will yield, and the softer and smoother the stew will become. Once removed from heat, take out bay leaves and thyme sprigs, and stir in basil.
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Spoon into bowls and top with a generous drizzle of good quality olive oil, basil leaves, goat cheese crumbles, and red pepper flakes.
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The stew tastes best the next day. One of our favorite ways to enjoy it is eaten cold, with a smear of goat cheese on grilled crusty bread.