Hearty Spanish Vegetable Stew – Delicious & Cozy Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp (90 ml)extra virgin olive oil
• 1onion
• 6 clovesgarlic
• 1green pepper
• 1red pepper
• 1carrot
• 8white mushrooms
• 4 smallpotatoes
• 2tomatoes
• 1 tsp (2.50 g)sweet smoked Spanish paprika
• 1 tsp (1 g)dried thyme
• 1 tbsp (15 ml)sherry vinegar
• 2 slicesbaguette
• 1/4 tsp (0.17 g)saffron threads
• 2 tbsp (8 g)chopped parsley
• 2bay leaves
• a pinchsea salt
• a dashblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare vegetables

   Roughly chop the onion, thinly slice 4 garlic cloves and cut both peppers into small, bite-sized pieces. Peel and thinly slice the carrot, then clean and slice the mushrooms into pieces about 6 mm thick.

2. 2

   Build the base

   Set a stock pot over medium-high heat and add 60 ml of the olive oil. After 1 minute, add the chopped vegetables and stir to coat. Cook for 5 minutes, until lightly sautéed, then stir in the paprika, thyme and sherry vinegar. Quickly mix in the 2 finely grated tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes, until thickened.

3. 3

   Add the potatoes

   While the tomato mixture simmers, peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces about 1.3 cm thick. Once the grated tomatoes have thickened, add the potatoes and season with sea salt and black pepper. Stir, pour in enough cold water to cover the ingredients by about 1.3 cm, and add the bay leaves.

4. 4

   Simmer and toast

   Bring the stew to the boil, cover the pot and lower the heat to low-medium. Meanwhile, warm 30 ml of olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Cut the baguette slices into small squares and peel the remaining 2 garlic cloves. Add the garlic and bread to the pan, stirring continuously for 3 minutes or until golden.

5. 5

   Make the paste

   Put the fried garlic and baguette pieces in a mortar with the saffron, chopped parsley and a pinch of sea salt. Pound with a pestle until the mixture forms a paste.

6. 6

   Finish the stew

   After the stew has simmered for 20 minutes, check that the potatoes are fully cooked. Stir in the garlic and bread paste, then take the pot off the heat. Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

What is Spanish vegetable stew?

This is a Spanish-inspired pot of vegetables and potatoes simmered in a paprika-scented tomato broth. Its combination of seasonal vegetables and a thickening bread-and-garlic paste makes it hearty enough to serve as a meal.

The finishing paste is reminiscent of picada, a technique used in parts of Spain to add flavour and body to dishes. Here, toasted baguette, garlic, parsley and saffron are pounded together and stirred in at the end.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 419 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

The potatoes and baguette provide most of the carbohydrates, while the olive oil contributes most of the fat. The vegetables and bread provide some protein, but this is not a particularly protein-rich combination; serve it with beans or another protein-rich accompaniment if you want a more balanced plate.

Prepare the vegetables evenly

Cut the peppers, carrot and mushrooms into pieces of similar size so they cook at a comparable pace. The potatoes are added later, giving them time to soften without overcooking the quicker-sautéing vegetables.

Grating the tomatoes helps them melt into the base. Let them simmer until thickened before adding the potatoes and water, rather than rushing straight to the broth.

Build flavour in stages

Start by lightly sautéing the vegetables in olive oil, then stir in the paprika, thyme and sherry vinegar. The grated tomatoes follow, creating a concentrated base before the liquid goes in.

Toast the baguette and garlic separately while the stew simmers. This gives the finishing paste a deeper flavour than adding untoasted bread directly to the pot.

Get the potato texture right

Keep the potato pieces around 1.3 cm thick, as directed, so they cook through during the 20-minute simmer. Check one with a fork: it should be tender, not firm in the centre.

Add only enough cold water to cover the ingredients by about 1.3 cm. The bread paste will thicken the broth, so the stew should look slightly looser before the paste is stirred in.

Make a smooth finishing paste

Pound the toasted bread, fried garlic, saffron, parsley and salt until they hold together as a paste. A mortar and pestle helps combine the ingredients while leaving a little texture.

Stir the paste in once the potatoes are cooked, then remove the pot from the heat. Adding it at the end preserves its aromatic flavour and gives the broth more body.

Serve it simply

Serve the stew hot in shallow bowls, with the fresh parsley garnish specified in the method. Crusty bread on the side is a useful extra for catching any broth.

The stew is substantial on its own, but a crisp green salad can bring a fresh contrast to the soft vegetables and rich, savoury broth.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces so they finish cooking at roughly the same time.
• Stir continuously while toasting the bread and garlic to help them colour evenly.
• Keep the garlic moving in the pan and take it off the heat when golden, before it turns bitter.
• Use a mortar and pestle to work the saffron and toasted ingredients into a cohesive paste.
• Check the potatoes with a fork before adding the paste.
• Taste the broth after stirring in the paste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Variations

• Add beans: Stir in cooked white beans near the end for a more substantial bowl.
• Use vegetable stock: Replace the water with vegetable stock for a more savoury broth.
• Change the mushrooms: Use chestnut mushrooms for a deeper, earthier flavour.
• Add greens: Stir in a handful of spinach just before taking the pot off the heat.
• Make it hotter: Add a pinch of chilli flakes with the paprika.
• Use crusty bread: Substitute another firm white loaf for the baguette in the paste.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Adding the potatoes too early: Let the grated tomatoes thicken first, then add the potatoes as directed.
• Cutting uneven potato pieces: Keep them around 1.3 cm thick so they cook consistently.
• Burning the garlic: Stir continuously and stop frying once it turns golden.
• Skipping the paste: Pound the bread and aromatics together so they thicken and flavour the broth.
• Adding too much water: Cover the ingredients by about 1.3 cm, not several centimetres.
• Adding the paste before the potatoes cook: Wait until they are tender so the paste does not make the doneness harder to judge.

How to store

Cool leftovers and refrigerate them in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan until piping hot, adding a splash of water if the stew has thickened.

Frequently asked questions