Mediterranean Vegetable Stew (Done in Under 35 minutes!)

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• Veganising and flavourising with whole foods
• Adding more flavour to your Mediterranean vegetable stew
• Simple preparation 
• A quick and easy Mediterranean vegetable stew all year round 
• How to make a Mediterranean vegetable stew with roasted vegetables - step by step
• More Mediterranean flavours and substitutions 
• More Mediterranean-inspired recipes
• Latest recipes
• Mediterranean vegetable stew recipe

A Mediterranean vegetable stew that is colourful, healthy and packed with authentic flavours from sun-kissed Mediterranean roasted vegetables, garlic and herbs. 

Veganising and flavourising with whole foods

Today’s eating habits are varied and complex, to say the least, but whatever you like to eat it is more and more prevalent for people to consume more and more plant-based foods. Whether this is for animal welfare reasons, health reasons or environmental reasons, the important thing is, if you want to veganise your food, then make sure you flavourise it.

Supermarket aisles now give you so many meat alternatives to try from soy proteins to seitan, but if you want simple, flavoursome and healthy vegetarian or vegan food, and let’s face it swapping from meat to synthesised meat alternatives for health reasons for example, do we know if this is in fact a healthier option? The answer for what to choose, however, is staring us in the face, and that is right there in the vegetable aisle.

Vegetables are varied in flavour and texture, they are full of plant compound nutrients that are antioxidant-rich and they are predominantly extremely easy to prepare and cook in a multitude of ways. Some of the simplest, most easy-to-prepare dishes are made with just vegetables. Look at the humble ratatouille for example which is a Gallic classic. The inexpensive rustic fare of juicy tomatoes, smooth courgette and aubergine with mellow white or red onion and sweet red pepper is a gastronomic treasure.

Adding more flavour to your Mediterranean vegetable stew

We’ve certainly taken inspiration from this french vegetable masterpiece by using these wonderful sun-kissed Mediterranean vegetables born in the tropical climes of Provence but added a little “all year roundness” by adding in the classic combination of leeks, carrots and celery, which is the base of so many beautiful soups, stews, and casseroles. With the addition of a mirepoix, not only are you now really optimising on your five a day, you are adding more taste and more texture into what’s already a so good dish.

Simple preparation 

The preparation is also very simple whereby we cook the main vegetables under a high grill for only ten minutes which adds a slight char and smokiness to the vegetables as well as drawing out the sweetness and caramelising them. This is a super quick way to cook Mediterranean or summer vegetables so that they don’t become soft and fall apart yet retain a slight al-dente bite without losing all that mouth-watering sweetness and zing. Then by simply adding them into a rich sauce made with the mirepoix with some choice herbs with reduced tinned tomatoes and stock, you have the most refreshing and satisfyingly tasty vegetable stew you are going to want to make time and time again.

A quick and easy Mediterranean vegetable stew all year round 

This combination of a rustic ratatouille and classic vegetable casserole is fresh and juicy, perfect for the hotter months but also satisfying enough to stave off those hunger pangs that would normally be only quenched with a slow-cooked stew more familiar in the colder months. Comfort food, this is, but without the time, and it is a real crowd-pleaser too. Try serving with some thick toasted sourdough or ciabatta spread with some flavour-bursting tapenade or pesto on the side.

Even though we’ve called this a Mediterranean vegetable stew, it is in fact grilled Mediterranean vegetables in a rich tomato sauce. The finished article certainly looks like a Mediterranean vegetable stew but the cooking process is definitely nowhere near as long, so perhaps we should call this a cheat’s stew. 

How to make a Mediterranean vegetable stew with roasted vegetables - step by step

First of all, you need to preheat the grill and prepare the Mediterranean vegetables. Finely chop the mirepoix, i.e the leeks, carrots and celery and add them to a hot pan with some olive oil and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes to caramelise them, then add some herbs de Provence and a little paprika.

Pour in 400ml of good vegetable stock and add a tin of cherry tomatoes which we find work really well as they just pop with amazing flavour, or alternatively use a tin of finely chopped tomatoes or passata. Add a spoonful of tomato puree and turn the heat down to reduce the sauce for about twenty minutes. Not only will this intensify the flavour, but it will also intensify some of this Mediterranean vegetable stew's health benefits. 

We picked up on this aspect only very slightly earlier but vegetables are nutrient-dense and we use a lot of tomatoes which are cram-packed with the antioxidant Lycopene which when cooked releases up to five times its antioxidant’s potency which when consumed, helps the body fight inflammation. That, alongside our other vegetables containing plant compounds such as Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, Lutein, anthocyanin, solasodine rhamnosyl glycosides (srg’s) and nasunin which have all been studied to show similar health benefits, is a good reason not to stray too far from the vegetable aisle when you are looking to veganise your food.

Whilst your sauce is simmering, it is time to chop the onions, courgettes, aubergines and sweet peppers onto larger bite-sized pieces but keep the cherry tomatoes uncut and on the vine. Place these vegetables in a roasting tin and drizzle over some good olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place them under the grill on the highest heat for ten minutes to char and caramelise.

Then set them aside until your sauce has thickened to the right consistency and mix them through to create this wonderful Mediterranean vegetable stew.

More Mediterranean flavours and substitutions 

Why not personalise your stew with ingredients you love. Other Mediterranean vegetables such as fennel, artichokes and olives would make excellent additions to this Mediterranean vegetable stew. If you like cheese, then perhaps crumble some feta over the top. Try, experiment and love your food, especially when it is as tasty and healthy as this is.

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