Italian Vegetable Stew Crockpot Recipe

Here is another one of those big pots of stew bursting with amazing flavor! Guess what you can adapt this to any way your family likes when it comes to ingredients. This one is full of vegetables, fresh. Green beans, carrots, peppers, zucchini, potatoes. Of course you can add many other delicious vegetables along with just the few I named and I am going to list those suggestions below so continue to read on. Oh and of course for you meat lovers, there are suggestions for you too!

If you prefer a meat stew then add beef, chicken , lamb or pork
You will need :
1 - 28 ounce can of tomato sauce or use 2 pound of fresh plum tomatoes put through the food processor (of course mine are fresh ones here in this stew, leave out 3 tomatoes and chop into cubes)
3 fresh cubed tomatoes if using canned sauce
3 small zucchini cubed
4 cubes and clean potatoes
3 cups of fresh green beans
1 cup fresh carrot slices
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 or 3 stems of fresh parsley leaves
1 fresh bay leaf
1/2 cup red wine or white use water if you want
1 1/2 cups water
2 large cleaned and sliced bell peppers
3 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons garlic powder
oregano, salt, pepper to taste
olive oil

Optional additions: mushrooms, peas, garbanzo beans, 3 cups of cubed chicken, Italian slices of sausage, london broil cubed, boneless pork tenderloin cubed or lamb cubed then proceed the same with the vegetables you choose.

In a large crockpot or saucepan around 5 quarts, add 4 tablespoons olive oil, peppers and garlic on the bottom. Add the sauce and all the vegetables you are using. If using meat, add raw meat next. Add the sauce and wine, water, herbs and spices. Slow cook for 8 to 10 hours in the crockpot or on stove top 2 hours on low.


Serve with thick crusty Italian Ciabatta bread to sop up the sauce.

claudia lamascolo author