This easy courgette stew is packed with the flavours and healthy vegetables of the Mediterranean. With zucchini, peppers and tomatoes, combined with beans and potatoes, it's a complete vegan one-pot meal.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- Ideal for using up a glut of homegrown courgettes
- Budget-friendly (even if you buy your courgettes, this recipe should still be under £1 per portion)
- This healthy courgette and bean stew is packed with veggies and is super nutritious. It's high in vitamins and minerals and also has plenty of protein to keep you feeling full.
- An easy-to-make vegetarian weeknight meal that is great for meal prep. And there's only one pan to wash up!
- A delicious low-calorie Mediterranean summer meal
- Vegan, gluten free and dairy free. This healthy courgette stew is also very low in saturated fat.
You might also like this healthy sweet potato and black bean stew which is packed with veggies and plant protein.
Ingredients
Olive oil - or use your preferred cooking oil.
Onion. I used a white onion, or you could also use red.
Garlic - adjust the quantity to suit, or omit if you prefer.
Courgettes. You can even use overgrown courgettes or marrows for this recipe. Courgettes don't need peeling, but if you are using a large marrow with tough skin, it's best to remove that.
(If you've still got lots of courgettes left over, why not try this courgette soup recipe, or this flavoursome courgette dip?)
Potatoes. Any variety of potato will work in this courgette stew.
Red pepper. This is optional, or you could switch to a green pepper if you like the flavour. I sometimes omit the pepper as I don't always have one in the fridge.
Tinned tomatoes. You can use either whole plum or chopped tomatoes.
Tomato puree - this is optional but I like to add tomato puree as it adds a richer flavour to the sauce.
Tin of cannellini beans, or use another type of bean such as haricot or butter beans if you prefer. It's important that you use beans that are already cooked.
Herbs. I like to use basil as the flavour goes so well with this Italian inspired courgette stew recipe, but use whatever you prefer. I do think fresh herbs add a better flavour and texture, but if you've only got dried, use those. If you are using fresh soft herbs such as basil or parsley, chop or tear them into pieces and add them at the end of the recipe. If you are using dried herbs or woody herbs such as chopped rosemary or thyme, add them with the tomatoes.
You might also like to save a few fresh herbs to garnish your Mediterranean courgette and bean stew.
Optional ingredients
If you want to add an extra portion of healthy greens, you could add some spinach leaves or kale towards the end of the cooking time.
How to make courgette stew
Use a large lidded pan for this recipe.
Heat the olive oil over a medium heat and fry the onions for 5 minutes. They should just be starting to turn slightly brown which will add more flavour.
Add the garlic and fry for a couple more minutes.
Add the diced courgette, red pepper and potato and mix together.
Stir in the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste and seasoning. Add 100ml of water.
Cover the pan and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the vegetables cook through evenly. Check that the veggies are cooked with the point of a knife - it should slide in easily to the potatoes and courgettes.
Stir in the cooked beans and herbs.
Expert tips
Cut the vegetables for your courgette stew into even sized pieces so that they cook through evenly. If you are in a hurry, you can cut them smaller (1cm dice) so that they will cook more quickly.
Serving and storage
Courgette stew with beans and potatoes is a balanced, filling meal by itself. But if you prefer, you could serve it as a side dish with some grilled meat or white fish.
You could also add an extra drizzle of olive oil or some grated parmesan, and a chunk of crusty bread.
Easy courgette stew is great for meal prep as it can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Heat through until piping hot on the stovetop.
You can also freeze the stew, although you will find the texture of the vegetables are slightly softer once the dish has been frozen.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Courgette is just another name for zucchini.
No, don't peel courgettes, as you'll lose some of the vitamins, minerals and fibre. The skin also adds a nicer colour too. But if you've got a big marrow, you might find the skin is very tough, in which case it's best to peel it.
Yes, you can still eat big courgettes. A very big courgette will be more watery and less flavoursome, so it's best to use them in recipes where there's plenty of flavours added and where extra liquid won't be a problem.
Other courgette and marrow recipes
If you've got a glut of courgettes or marrow, you might like to try these healthy courgette recipes.
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Recipe
Easy Courgette Stew
Equipment
- large lidded pan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and very finely chopped
- 600 g courgettes cut into 1.5cm dice
- 400 g potatoes cut into 1.5cm dice
- 1 red pepper cut into 1.5cm dice
- 400 g chopped tinned tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 100 ml water
- seasoning to taste
- 400 g cannellini beans or use haricot
- 1 handful fresh basil or herbs of your choice
Instructions
- Heat a large lidded pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and saute the chopped onions for 5 minutes until starting to brown.
- Add the chopped garlic and saute for a couple more minutes.
- Add the diced courgettes, potato and red pepper and stir to mix.
- Add the seasoning, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree and water and mix again.
- Cover the pan and simmer gently for 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender to the point of a knife.
- Stir through the cannellini beans and herbs.
Notes
- If using soft herbs such as basil or parsley, add them at the end of the recipe. If you use woody herbs such as rosemary, or dried herbs, add them along with the tomatoes.
- Cut the vegetables into even-sized pieces so that they cook through evenly. If you are in a rush, cut them smaller so that they cook more quickly.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
Sue-Lee Freeman says
Hi there. Are the nutritional values per 100 grams?
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi, the nutritional values are per serving. Since this recipe serves 4, each serving is 1/4 of the total recipe.
Loreta says
Very delicious, it caught my eye from the first glance. Will be one of my favourites dishes now. Very easy to make, vegan and tasty. Thanks for sharing, beautiful soul:-)))
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you:) That's so lovely to hear.
Sandra Breen says
Hi, I’m going to make the easy courgette casserole for dinner and wondered if I can freeze it
Thank you 🙏
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi, yes, you can freeze this courgette stew. You'll find that the courgettes are slightly softer once they've been frozen, but it'll still be delicious.