Zucchini stew with potatoes is a rustic Italian-inspired main dish. This vegan and gluten-free recipe is flavorful and loaded with vegetables. Enjoy a warm bowl of this comforting stew on its own or with some crusty bread.
Zucchini is a summer staple in my house. I love using it to make dishes like simple spaghetti with zucchini, Mediterranean sauteed zucchini and tomatoes, and garlicky grilled vegetable skewers.
But when I want something extra comforting, I turn to this zucchini stew. It's a rustic dish that your Italian grandmother would make, if you had an Italian grandmother. It's especially perfect during the late summer and early fall when zucchini is abundant and you have more than you know what to do with.
💌 Save For Later!
I'll email you a link so you can come back to this later.
I'll also send you other recipes I know you'll love. Unsubscribe at any time.
This recipe is so simple yet so delicious! It reminds me of my Nonna's (AKA Italian Grandmother's) cooking!
- Sabrina
Ingredients
These ingredients are all easy to find and budget-friendly. And as you can see in the above photo, there's no need to dice the vegetables small for this chunky Italian zucchini stew.
- Potatoes: Use whatever type of potatoes you prefer, such as Russet or red. I like to use my favorite gold potatoes.
- Zucchini: Slice off both ends of the squash before quartering and chopping to help remove any potential bitterness.
Please see the recipe card for the complete ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
How to make zucchini stew
- Saute the onion in a little olive oil until soft. Then add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds more.
- Next add the zucchini, potatoes, carrots, and red bell pepper.
- After about 5 minutes, add the canned whole tomatoes with their juice. Smash the tomatoes down into the vegetables with a wooden spoon and break them apart a little.
- Once the mixture comes to a low boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the vegetable stew has thickened. Finally, add a little salt and pepper and some fresh parsley and it's time to eat!
Serving suggestions
I'm perfectly happy eating a big bowl of this rustic vegetable stew on its own. But if you have some crusty bread, warm some up for dipping in the stew.
If you love cooking with zucchini, you'll find more dinner ideas in this collection of savory vegan zucchini recipes. And if you purchased a 3 pound bag of potatoes, you can use one pound to make this recipe and the other 2 pounds to make Greek roasted potatoes and chickpeas or lemony chickpea and potato soup.
Made this recipe or have a question? Please leave a comment below. 💙 For even more simple vegan recipes, join my email list. It's less like a newsletter and more like emails between friends.
Love and Veggies,
Amy
📋 Recipe
Zucchini Stew with Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium zucchini, (about
1.5 pounds) sliced lengthwise in quarters then cut in ½-inch chunks - 1 pound potatoes, (I use gold potatoes) peeled, quartered, and cut in chunks about the same size as the zucchini
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in large dice
- 1-28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped or torn
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Saute the onion in the oil for a few minutes until soft and slightly translucent.1 onion
- Add the garlic and saute about 30 more seconds until fragrant.5 cloves garlic
- Then add the zucchini, potatoes, carrots and red bell pepper to the pot and saute for 5 minutes.3 medium zucchini, 1 pound potatoes, 2 medium carrots, 1 red bell pepper
- Next add the tomatoes with their juice to the vegetable mixture. Press down the tomatoes and break them apart with a wooden spoon.1-28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
- Bring the stew to a low boil, then lower the heat and simmer,uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the stew has thickened.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove the stew from the heat.salt and pepper
- Stir in the parsley and serve.½ cup fresh parsley
💌 Save For Later!
I'll email you a link so you can come back to this later.
I'll also send you other recipes I know you'll love. Unsubscribe at any time.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation.
Maria says
Made this for dinner tonight, it was delicious. I followed the recipe - no substitution. What I did add once I finished my tasting serving, was Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, a few shakes of red pepper flakes and a little topping of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Amy Katz says
Sounds fantastic, Maria! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Lisa says
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned and what would the ratio be?
Amy Katz says
I haven't tried this myself, but I would guess at least 2 pounds, or about a dozen plum tomatoes or medium-sized tomatoes. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
Corina says
Thank you for this delicious recipe 👍: I don't know at all why I never liked zucchini. Very very tasty 😋
Amy Katz says
I think it's all about the preparation when it comes to zucchini. I'm so glad you enjoyed them in this stew!
Marilyn D'Angelo says
Amy. I can't stop making this stew!!! My family said they could eat it everyday!! That's not going to happen, but I can see making this 2 times a week. With crusty Italiano bread!!!!! I will be making some more of your recipes soon!!!.ciao!!
Amy Katz says
Thank you so much, Marilyn! I thrilled you are enjoying the stew as much as I do!
Larisa says
Very tasty! This time I added some pumpkin, also good 😄
Amy Katz says
That's a great idea, Larisa! So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Anne says
This sounds yummy! I am wondering if this can be frozen and if so maximum length? Thank you
Amy Katz says
Thanks Anne! I personally don't like freezing anything with potatoes because I feel they seem grainy when defrosted and reheated. But technically you can freeze the stew for up to 3 months.
Anne says
Thank you! I appreciate your kindness in getting back to my email.
Paul says
Quick and easy to prepare but the cooking time will vary depending on the cut of the vegetables. I finally covered the pot to let them steam and it took about 30-45 minutes!
Christine says
Just like I remember my grandma making! Thank you for sharing.
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy to hear this, Christine! Thank you for coming back to leave a comment and rating. 🙂
Sabrina says
This recipe is so simple yet so delicious! It reminds me of my Nonna's (AKA Italian Grandmother's) cooking!
Amy Katz says
Thank you so much, Sabrina!