Pisto Manchego (Spanish Summer Vegetable Stew)

Ingredients

For 4 portions

• 🏺 5 Tbsp olive oil
• 🧅 2 medium onions
• 🧄 3 cloves garlic
• 🫑 1 medium green bell pepper
• 🫑 1 medium red bell pepper
• 🥒 2 medium courgette
• 🥫 400g canned tomatoes
• 🍚 1 Tsp sugar
• 🧂 1 Tsp salt
• 🌿 0.5 Tsp black pepper

Method

1. Chop the onions, mince the garlic and dice the green and red peppers and courgettes into roughly 1.5 cm pieces, keeping them in separate piles.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large deep frying pan or casserole over medium-low heat. Add the onions with a pinch of the salt and cook for 10 minutes until soft and translucent.
3. Add the garlic and both peppers and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the peppers are completely soft.
4. Add the courgettes and cook for 10 minutes more until tender.
5. Stir in the canned tomatoes, sugar and remaining salt. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has cooked off and the pisto is thick, glossy and jammy.
6. Season with black pepper and taste for salt.
7. Serve hot or warm with crusty bread, over rice, or as a side dish. Even better the next day. (In La Mancha it's often topped with a fried egg – leave it off to keep it vegan.)