Tourlou - Greek Vegetable Stew

This tourlou dish reminds me of Greek summers, when the eggplants, zucchinis and tomatoes are at their best. It’s a simple dish, full of flavor and aromas. What I love about this dish is how it combines lots of different vegetables, with different textures and flavors. You could follow the recipe or add some more vegetables on top, like mushrooms and okra. In the end, that’s what tourlou really means in Greek, a mix of different vegetables.

You could serve it as it is with a slice of bread to soak up the juices or with some cheese on the side like a slice of feta or graviera cheese. If you prefer to serve it as a side dish, next to some protein, then I recommend pairing it with some Greek biftekia or baked fish.

Why you should try my recipe

• Great dish, full of vegetables and flavors.
• Full of goodness and nutrients if you are trying a healthier meal plan.
• Stores in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Great on its own or with cheese or some carbs on the side like bread or rice.

Ingredients & How-to

The main vegetables and herbs that we are going to use for this Greek tourlou stew are zucchinis, bell peppers, eggplant, potatoes, carrots, leek, onion, garlic, tomatoes, fresh mint and parsley. This dish is made on the stove top using just one big pot.

01. I start with prepping all the vegetables before moving to the pot. I peel and chop the onion, roughly cut the garlic cloves and cut the leek into slices. I like to use fresh Roma tomatoes for the sauce since this is a dish I usually make in the summer months. I put 3 or 4 tomatoes in a little blender until smooth. You could also use canned crushed tomatoes or passata, about a cup should be enough.

02. I peel and cut the carrots into slices and roughly cut the peppers and zucchini into big pieces. I leave the potatoes and eggplants for the end since they both get easily browned and cut them into big cubes.

03. Moving to the pot, I sauté the chopped onion for 3-4 minutes and then I add the garlic, chopped leek and tomatoes in. For seasoning, I’m only using salt and freshly ground pepper since I will be adding fresh parsley and mint later on. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you could substitute with dried ones or mixed dried herbs and add it at this point along with the tomatoes.

04. Then, I add all the chopped vegetables, the zucchini, carrots, eggplants, peppers and potatoes. The vegetables will release water whilst being cooked, so I’m adding just a cup to get the boiling started.

05. I cover the pot with the lid and let the veggies slow-cook in medium low temperature. It takes about an hour for the tourlou to be ready. We want the vegetables to be fully cooked but not mashy and most of the water to be absorbed.

06. Around 15 to 20 minutes before the tourlou stew is finished, I add the chopped parsley and mint. I gently mix the stew by holding the pot handles and giving it a swirl.

Tips

• Try not to stir the vegetables too much in the pot as they will break down and get mashy. If you feel the need to stir, you could hold the pot from the handles and give it a bit of a swirl to move the stew around.
• Do not add all the olive oil at the start. Just a little bit to saute the onion and the add the rest when you turn off the heat and the food is ready.
• Add the fresh herbs towards the end so they don’t overcook and lose all their flavor.

Substitutions

• Instead of fresh herbs, you could use dried mint and parsley or a mix of dried herbs.
• Instead of fresh tomatoes, you could use a cup of crushed tomatoes or passata.
• You could use one large eggplant or a couple of small long ones.
• You could any type of zucchini you like, light green or dark green or yellow ones.

Serving suggestions

This Greek vegetable stew is a vegan dish, containing just vegetables that are slow cooked on the stove. It’s better served while it’s still warm or heated up if you are having it on the next day. We like to have it with some feta cheese on the side as it really compliments the flavors with its tangy taste and a thick slice of bread to soak in that delicious sauce and olive oil.

You could also serve tourlou as a side dish with some protein like grilled fish or meat or my Greek biftekia.

Storage

You could store any leftover of this Greek tourlou stew in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm it up thoroughly in the microwave for a couple of minutes or in a small pot on the stove until piping hot.

I wouldn’t recommend freezing it if you are using any potatoes in it as they get very soggy when thawed.

FAQ

• What does tourlou mean? Tourlou is a Greek stew dish that combines lots of different vegetables like zucchini, potatoes, eggplant, carrots and more.