Summer is a great opportunity to treat yourself to vegetables and fruits, not only fresh, but also in various dishes - hodgepodge, stew, cream soups, side dishes and so on. If you prefer zucchini or eggplant, these vegetables are usually not consumed raw. The best option to bring them to the table is a vegetable stew with eggplant and zucchini, which can be eaten as an independent dish or used as a side dish for meat. Due to their initially soft, not very dense (like a potato) texture, cooking will not take much time.
How to make vegetable stew with zucchini and eggplant
It's no secret that these vegetables, although they have an extremely low energy value, for example, 100 grams of fresh zucchini is only 17 kcal, and the eggplant pulls at some 33 kcal, but they are able to absorb the fats used in cooking. Therefore, the most healthy and useful way of their hot processing is quenching. For a small portion of stew you will need:
- 1 young squash weighing up to half a kilogram;
- 1 large eggplant (choose a good one, without any dents on the skin and with a bright green top);
- 1 onion, cut into small pieces;
- 1 medium carrot;
- 2 ripe tomatoes;
- 1-2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped or squeezed using garlic presses);
- black pepper, a couple of bay leaves and salt;
- A variety of seasonal greens for decoration.
Peel the zucchini and eggplant, cut into small cubes, rub the carrots on a coarse grater. Fry the onion in a small amount of vegetable or olive oil, when browned, add the carrots. We give it a little stew, after which we send eggplants with zucchini to the pan. We mix everything well, pour about half a glass of water, let it stew under the lid for 10-15 minutes. The fire should be medium or weak. After you need to add chopped tomatoes, mix again, completing cooking after 5-7 minutes. Then it’s worth adding salt, spices, squeezing garlic. Here you are ready
vegetable stew with zucchini and eggplant. Before serving, sprinkle the dish with a little chopped seasonal herbs.
How to cook vegetable stew with zucchini and eggplant with meat
If your family does not consider vegetables an independent dish, and you really want to diversify your family’s diet with healthy products, do not waste time and read on how to cook vegetable stew with eggplant, zucchini and meat. To create it you need to take:
- 200 grams of pork (if you are a meat lover, you can put more, and if pork seems too oily, then chicken breasts will do);
- a pound of potatoes;
- 3 onions;
- 2 eggplants of small size;
- 1 young zucchini;
- 1-2 sweet bell peppers;
- a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, and it is better to add 1-2 fresh tomatoes;
- oil, spices and salt to taste.
Finely chop the onion, vegetables - potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes - cut into small cubes. Prepare meat separately - it is necessary to wash the pork, dry it with a paper towel or a towel, cut into pieces and fry in a deep frying pan or a cauldron in vegetable oil. After 5 minutes add onion and bell pepper, fry with meat, stirring occasionally. Next, place the zucchini and eggplant, leave to stew under a closed lid for about 10 minutes. Water does not need to be added, since vegetables must give juice (if the contents start to burn, you can still add, but not much). Then to taste put a couple of spoons of tomato paste and potatoes.
The dish should simmer until the potatoes are ready - usually it takes no more than 10 minutes. Occasionally you can stir. At the end, sprinkle with spices, salt and taste. Well done, right? Such vegetable stew with zucchini and eggplant will surely appeal to all members of your family.