Spanish Vegetable Pisto with Eggs  One-Pot Recipe!

Ingredients you’ll need to make pisto

• 1 large eggplant (aubergine), diced
• Extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 1/2 long red chilli, diced (or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
• 1 red bell pepper/capsicum, diced
• 1 green bell pepper/capsicum, diced
• 2 small to medium zucchini (courgette), peeled and diced
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 x 14.5 oz (400 gram) can of crushed tomatoes
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 4 eggs (Freerange)

Equipment needed

• 1 large 12-inch (30cm) deep-sided frying pan with lid

About This Recipe

As far as recipes from Spain go, Pisto is perhaps one of the most quintessential Spanish dishes. It’s served everywhere at all times throughout the year and one of the beauties of Pisto is it’s a delicious veggie stew that can be made in just over an hour and with just about whatever vegetables you have on hand. 

Traditionally, it’s a rich stew with a tomato, onion, and garlic base as the sauce, that’s then complemented with seasonal veggies. It’s most common to find it using zucchini (courgette), peppers, and eggplants (aubergines), but don’t be afraid to throw pretty much any vegetable you like. 

When it comes to vegetable stews, pisto is perfect for experimentation and can be made to suit the variety of vegetables available from season to season. Got some spare pumpkin? Throw it in the pot. Have a few spare radishes, in they go! No matter what veggies you use, stewing them down and using the base sauce will result in an impressive and hearty vegetable stew.

Where is Pisto from in Spain?

Pisto (also known as Pisto manchego) is a Spanish dish that’s served all over Spain. It is originally from the regions of Murcia, Castilla La Mancha, and Extremadura, and is typically made using tomatoes, onions, garlic, eggplant or courgettes, green and red peppers, and olive oil.

Pisto ‘vs’ Ratatouille recipe

Pisto is the Spanish version of ratatouille from France, Italy’s caponata or imam bayildi hailing from Turkey. All of these well-known recipes have evolved from a heritage of vegetable stew recipes and all are made with virtually the same ingredients such as tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, red and green peppers.  

Spanish Pisto is typically made using a combination of tomatoes, onions, eggplant or courgettes, green and red peppers, and olive oil. Pisto recipes tend to vary throughout Spain, and often feature seasonal vegetables too. 

Pisto can be served as a main meal or a tapas, and comes either as a vegetable stew or often served with eggs on top. Some pisto recipes use spices such as cumin and smoked paprika, while others rely on the full flavoring of the tomato, onion, and garlic sauce to flavor the stew.

Is Pisto vegan?

Yes, pisto can easily be made as a vegan meal (just don’t add the eggs). It’s literally all veggies so it’s perfect for meatless Mondays or served as a hearty meal for vegetarians. 

Spanish food culture often focuses on meat dishes such as famous hams and cuts of pork (Jamón Ibérico is one good example). Pisto is sometimes deemed the underdog and served as an accompaniment to meat dishes or as a tapas serving in some major Spanish cities. 

Pisto is packed full of nutrients, high in protein, high in fiber, and also great for those on the Whole 30 diet plan or for those looking for a healthy and filling meal.

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