Summer weather calls for summer food, right? We are generally having a cool and rainy one over here, but this Sunday is set to be a scorcher so I made a summery pepper stew with chickpeas for the occasion. It’s one of those dishes that tastes better at least a day after it was made so leftovers will be perfect for when it’s too hot to lift a finger in the heat.
This sweet pepper stew is loosely inspired by two dishes – a French dish called piperade and an Italian one called peperonata. Similarly to those, the base of my pepper stew are onions, garlic and peppers cooked slowly in a generous amount of olive oil.
I do not cook my peppers in tomato sauce though, first I allow them to caramelise in olive oil and then I stew them gently in a bit of water. Once onions, garlic and peppers are done, I add sweet cherry tomatoes, cut in half, and allow them to soften just a little bit and release some of their juices. These tomato juices, combined with syrupy balsamic vinegar and olive oil create pan juices that are just perfect to mop up with a piece of crusty sourdough or baguette.
I like to serve this simple dish with something creamy – like this homemade vegan ricotta cheese, a handful of fresh herbs and sometimes I also add toasted almond flakes for a bit of crunch.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
ONIONS – You can use either red or white (sometimes called brown) onions for this dish. I used red and allowed to caramelise slowly in plenty of olive oil to get maximum flavour out of them. You can also use shallots if that’s what you have.
GARLIC – Every good stew – and especially if it’s French inspired – needs a good amount of garlic in it, at least that’s my opinion. I used four large garlic cloves with I sautéed in olive oil once onions were almost done cooking.
PEPPERS – As this is a pepper stew, plenty of slow cooked sweet peppers are a must. I used sweet baby peppers but I have also made this stew with regular bell peppers and it’s just as nice. Slice them thinly and cook until softened.
CHICKPEAS – I added two tins of cooked chickpeas to this stew to make it more substantial and nutritious, plus to add another texture to this dish. You can use another kind of pulse if you prefer: Puy lentils or cannellini beans would be my recommendation.
OLIVE OIL – A generous amount of olive oil is essential in this pepper stew. As this pepper stew isn’t made with cooked down tomatoes it is olive oil that locks in moisture and stop the stew from getting dry. I used cooking grade olive oil to make the stew, but I recommend extra virgin olive oil to finish.
CHERRY TOMATOES – Ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half, are used for their sweetness. I allow them to soften and disintegrate only a little so that their juices contribute moisture and sweetness to this simple pepper stew.
HERBS – I served with pepper stew topped with both parsley and basil as that’s what I had to hand, but either of these herbs works really well. Fresh oregano would also be a great match.
BALSAMIC VINEGAR – I wanted this recipe to be simple and made with only a few ingredients. This is why I opted for luscious balsamic vinegar to flavour this stew. I used thick and syrupy balsamic vinegar, which contributes both acidity and sweetness, but you can totally use regular balsamic too and add a touch of sugar (or maple syrup) to offset its acidity if you feel that is needed.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
1) CARAMELISE ONIONS
Cook onions slowly – on low heat – in a generous amount of olive oil. Stir every now and then, not too often – so that you get some caramelisation going. Add garlic and towards the end and cook until softened. Transfer to a plate to make room for the peppers that are going in next.
2) CARAMELISE PEPPERS
Add more olive oil to the pan, followed by thinly sliced peppers. Allow the peppers to caramelise a little before stewing them in the next step. Don’t worry if they are catching a little – that’s where an additional flavour boost is.
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3) SOFTEN PEPPERS
Add a good splash of water (about 200 ml / just under a cup) and pop the lid on. Allow peppers to steam slowly until pliant and soft but not so long that the skins comes off.
4) ADD TOMATOES
Add halved tomatoes to the peppers, give everything a gentle stir and allow the tomatoes to soften only just a little before returning onions back to the pan. Season with more salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar, a small amount of sugar if you feel that’s needed.
4) AND FINALLY COOKED CHICKPEAS
Next, gently stir in chickpeas and voila. Your dish is ready to serve or, even better, cool and store until the following day. Its flavours will mellow and mingle and it will be all the better for it, trust me.
- 60 ml / ¼ cup olive oil, more if liked
- 2 small red onions, finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- salt & pepper
- 400 g / 14 oz sweet peppers (3 medium bell peppers)
- 400 g / 14 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp quality balsamic vinegar*
- 2 x 400 g / 14 oz cans of chickpeas
- handful of parsley or/and basil, to serve
- soft vegan cheese (I used ricotta) to serve (optional)
- chilli oil* or extra virgin olive oil, to serve (optional)
- favourite bread, to serve (optional)
- Heat up 30 ml (2 tbsp) of olive oil in a large casserole pan that you have a lid for. Add sliced onions. Sauté until on low heat until softened and caramelised. Stir every so often.
- While the onions are caramelising, slice peppers into thin strips.
- Add chopped garlic to the onions and season. Sauté on low heat until garlic is no longer raw, stir frequently.
- Transfer onion and garlic to a plate. Add remaining olive oil to the pan – no need to wash it. Once the oil is hot, add sliced peppers.
- Coat peppers in oil and allow them to caramelise a little before adding a splash of water (about 200 ml / just under a cup), seasoning and putting a lid on. Allow peppers to stew gently until pliable and soft, adding more water if the pan is looking dry.
- Take the lid off, add halved tomatoes to the peppers. Cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to soften.
- Return onions to the pan, add balsamic, a good pinch of sugar if needed and more seasoning. Allow everything to cook for a couple of minutes before stirring in cooked chickpeas.
- Taste, adjust the seasoning to your liking – you may want to add a touch of sugar if your tomatoes aren’t sufficiently sweet. This dish makes even better leftovers so cool and store in the fridge overnight if making in advance.
- Divide between bowls, serve with a sprinkle of fresh herbs (I used basil and parsley), top with vegan cheese and drizzle with chilli oil or more olive oil if you don’t like heat. Serve with crusty bread.
*CHILLI OIL: if you like heat, why not use 2-3 teaspoons or more (of harissa paste or chipotle paste) in step 6 instead of (or as well as) some chilli oil at the end.