Enjoy this easy version of Ciambotta, an Italian vegetable stew. Flavorful vegetables and a medley of fragrant herbs combine to make a delicious meal or delightful side dish.

A bowl of ciambotta vegetable stew with diced vegetables and a garnish of herbs, served with a spoon on the side.

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Ciambotta, also known as Giambotta, is a traditional southern Italian vegetable stew. It is often referred to as the Italian version of ratatouille. The dish is loaded with fresh vegetables and herbs to create a wonderful stew.

I absolutely love this stew in the summer months. I mean, it's good all year but definitely in the summer when the fresh vegetables are in season.

Many of the vegetables in the recipe are available at my local farmer's market. The smells of this stew simmering through my house take me back to Italy. The vegetables and fragrant herbs truly blend so well together.

If you do make this stew, don't forget to top it with fresh parsley. This just adds to the mouthwatering flavors. Just like in my beef stew, Ciambotta goes great with a slice of crusty bread.

Reasons to Love

Delicious Flavors. The summer vegetables combined with the herbs makes this dish so mouthwatering. The longer the stew sits, the more the flavors blend together lending to an amazing taste the next day.
Versatile. This recipe is easily customizable, allowing you to add or substitute ingredients based on what you enjoy. You can mix and match summertime vegetables from your garden or local farmer's market.
Perfect meal or side dish. Ciambotta is a very filling dish for a main course meal especially in the warm summertime months. It also can be a great side dish to pair with a sandwich or salad.

Ingredients

Top view of various fresh vegetables, including zucchinis, an eggplant, bell pepper, tomatoes, onions, and spices laid out on a white surface.

Eggplant - Peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces.
Olive Oil - To be used for sautéing.
Onion - White or yellow used and chopped.
Potatoes - Peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces. Yukon Gold or red potatoes are both varieties that withstand the heat of cooking without getting soggy.
Tomato Paste - Enhances the tomato flavors in the stew.
Chicken Broth - You can use vegetable broth or water to keep it vegetarian friendly.
Tomatoes - Chopped tomatoes either from a can or fresh, if available.
Zucchini - Medium size that can be cut into ½ inch pieces.
Red Bell Pepper - Seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces.
Oregano - Dried and helps add delicious flavors to the stew.
Parsley - Fresh, if possible and chopped finely to be added as topping over the stew.
Salt - Used to enhance taste. Make sure to taste before serving.

Scroll down to the recipe card for quantities used.

Instructions

Gather up those prepared vegetables to start assembling this Italian vegetable stew.

A pot of sautéed chopped onions on a white cloth, with black specks scattered around.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.

Pot of diced potatoes and chopped onion on a white surface.

Add the peeled and diced potatoes to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes.

Potatoes mixed with tomato paste in a pot on a white surface.

Stir in the tomato paste and dried oregano, allowing them to cook for about a minute.

A pot containing chopped red peppers, zucchini, and eggplant on a white surface.

Add the chopped eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, and chicken broth.

A pot with chopped zucchini and canned chopped tomatoes on a white surface, sprinkled with black pepper.

Pour canned chopped tomatoes to the pot.

A pot of diced eggplant in a rich, red tomato sauce on a white surface.

Stir well to combine all the ingredients.

A pot of ciambotta Italian vegetable stew with diced carrots, potatoes, and herbs, garnished with chopped parsley, viewed from above.

Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley just before serving to add a burst of fresh flavor to the soup.

Hint: Make sure that you chop the vegetables uniformly to ensure even cooking, allowing the flavors to meld together perfectly.

Variations

Add protein. Wanting to add some protein? There are several types of meat protein that would complement the vegetables in this stew such as shrimp, Italian sausage, shredded chicken and pancetta. If wanting to make this dish vegetarian, you can add in some white beans or chickpeas for extra protein.
Add spice. Kick this stew up a notch with a dash of crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or a splash of hot sauce.
Use different herbs. There are many different herbs that would go great in this stew either exchanged out or added such as basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic and paprika.
Top with cheese. Add a bit of creaminess to the stew by topping with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Make it vegetarian friendly. Swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth or water to make it completely a vegetarian dish.

You can also turn this into a slow cooker vegetable soup by adding more broth and cooking it in your crock pot.

Tips

Top tip: Prepare vegetables before starting to cook. You want to make sure you have cut up your vegetables prior to starting cooking so you can easily put each ingredient in a timely manner.

Use fresh ingredients. The fresher the ingredients, the better the dish will taste. You can use fresh vegetables from the grocery store, farmer's market or your own gardens. This is a great way to use any abundance of vegetables you might get from a garden especially during those summer months.
Use quality potatoes. It is important to use potatoes that can withstand the heat of cooking without turning to mush. The potatoes that hold up the best are Yukon Gold and red potatoes.
Cut vegetables uniformly. You will see in the recipe card that the vegetables need to be cut into ½ inch pieces. By cutting them uniformly, it will ensure that they cook evenly.
Control excess moisture. Many of the vegetables such as the eggplant and zucchini have a lot of moisture in them. To soak up some of the moisture, after they are cut up you can sprinkle a little salt on them. Be sure to let them sit on the counter for 20 minutes.
Let simmer. This is a very important step. Allow the stew to simmer, this blends all the flavors together and helps soften down the vegetables. The vegetables should be cooked until tender and soft.
Adjust the seasonings. Make sure to adjust as you go and before serving.
Top with fresh parsley. This stew tastes so good when topped with fresh parsley. It helps bring out the flavors in the stew. I love to use it from my garden.

A plate of ciambotta vegetable stew with diced potatoes and red peppers, accompanied by a spoon, on a white speckled table.

Serving suggestions

Ciambotta is such as versatile dish and can be enjoyed as a full main meal or side dish. As a main dish, it goes well with crusty bread or garlic bread. This stew goes well with a tuna melt or this chopped salad, too.

As a side dish, I like to serve it with these grilled shrimp skewers. It also compliments crab pasta or steak bites very well.

Storage

Transfer the stew to an airtight container and refrigerate it. Refrigerated stew should be consumed within four days to maintain quality and taste.

You can also freeze the stew. Once fully cooled, place leftovers in a freezer safe container or bag and label them. Frozen stew can be stored for up to three months.

FAQs

What is Ciambotta?

Ciambotta is a traditional Italian vegetable stew. The vegetables are often cooked until they are tender and soft.

Is Ciambotta a vegetarian dish?

There are several different versions of Ciambotta that are not exclusively vegetarian, but some are made to be vegetarian. In this recipe, you can easily make it vegetarian by swapping out the chicken broth for water or vegetable broth.

Can I use fresh tomatoes in this recipe?

Yes, you can use fresh tomatoes, if available. Canned tomatoes allow you to make this recipe any season.

A spoon serving vegetable stew with chunks of zucchini and potato, over a white plate with more soup, on a white tablecloth.

Related Recipes

Want to try more of my small-batch soups and stews? Here are a few more recipes you may want to check out:

Crock pot tomato soup is creamy and really satisfying.
Broccoli cheese soup is always a hit with guests.
Crock pot cabbage soup is a delicious way to serve veggies.
Fish and sausage soup has a delightful flavor combination.
Chicken corn chowder is a family favorite in late summer and fall.

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5 from 3 votes