The sweetness of tomatoes, combined with the heartiness of cauliflower creates a hearty vegetable stew. This fall has been so unbelievable warm, that I’m still bringing in tomatoes! Quite unusual here in Buffalo for the end of October. The vibrant colors of our heirlooms, create so beautiful combinations, and create sweet soups and sauces.
We can’t get enough! If only winter wouldn’t come soon…However, as we like to plan ahead, we made this stew in a big batch and froze a bunch of quarts for colder nights ahead. This stew can be thinned out to create a soup, or left thick as created, and served over brown or curried rice.
Storing Soups & Stews For The Winter
This recipe is similar to a ratatouille, but instead of a lot of peppers and zucchini, this recipe transitions into the fall and incorporates in-season cauliflower and eggplant. We avoid sauteeing the veggies to cut down on any need for added fats. This recipe has no added fats! By making your own foods from scratch and in-season, you not only control what goes into the food, you cut down on the need for added salts and oils because the ingredients themselves have so much flavor. Tomatoes are packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants, and cauliflower & eggplant boosts the fiber and potassium content, along with providing more anitoxidants and reducing inflammation in the body. These veggies also reduce heart-disease, by lowering blood pressure and help maintain blood sugars in the body, great for diabetics.
Makes 4-5 quarts of stew; serves 8-10
Ingredients:
- 9 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes (organic preferred)
- 12-13 cups of eggplant, peeled and cubed-about 3 pounds
- 4 cups of chopped onion, small dice
- 1 1/2 cups of green pepper, medium dice
- 1 cup banana peppers (or increase above amount of green/red peppers)
- 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into florets, about 2 pounds or 7 cups
- 1 tbsp dried thyme, or 3 tbsp fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp dried oregano
- 2-3 tsp salt, begin with 1 1/2 tsp and gradually increase
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions:
- Place all ingredients into a stock pot, starting with only 1 1/2 tsp of salt
- Put stew on medium heat, and cook until tomatoes begin to cook down, and mixture begins to bubble. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until veggies have softened and thickened, about 40 minutes.
- Season to taste, adding more salt and pepper if desired, garnish with fresh parsley. Serve on its own, with some brown rice, or season some rice with curry powder and turmeric for an indian flavor. Alternatively, you can add water or stock to thin this and create a soup.
Nutritional Benefits:
- Cauliflower: high in Vitamin C and maganese: vitamin that boosts immunity and reduces inflammation
- Tomatoes: high in Vitamin C and contains the pigment lycopene. Lycopene has been shown to reduce risk of osteporosis, has been shown to lower cholesterol (specifically LDL), triglycerides, and blood pressure
- No added fat; less than 1 g of fat/serving, heart healthy
- Vegan and gluten free-reduces inflammation in the body
- High in fiber, 8 g+: great for digestive health, maintaining blood sugar levelsm increasing satiety
- Great source of plant-based protein; 5.3 g of protein/serving
- Very high in potassium: great for regulating kidney and nervous function, blood pressure regulation
- High in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory-great at many levels of disease prevention; cancers, heart disease, and diabetes
- 9 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes (organic preferred)
- 12-13 cups of eggplant, peeled and cubed-about 3 pounds
- 4 cups of chopped onion, small dice
- 1½ cups of green pepper, medium dice
- 1 cup banana peppers (or increase above amount of green/red peppers)
- ½ head of cauliflower, cut into florets, about 2 pounds or 7 cups
- 1 tbsp dried thyme, or 3 tbsp fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp dried oregano
- 2-3 tsp salt, begin with 1½ tsp and gradually increase
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley to garnish
- Place all ingredients into a stock pot, starting with only 1½ tsp of salt
- Put stew on medium heat, and cook until tomatoes begin to cook down, and mixture begins to bubble. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until veggies have softened and thickened, about 40 minutes.
- Season to taste, adding more salt and pepper if desired, garnish with fresh parsely. Serve on its own, with some brown rice, or season some rice with curry powder and turmeric for an indian flavor. Alternatively, you can add water or stock to thin this and create a soup.
