Pisto manchego, Spanish stewed summer vegetables

Pisto manchego: green and red bell peppers, zucchini, onion and tomato slowly stewed in a pan, a flavour-packed Spanish side from La Mancha. Great warm, cold or with an egg.

Pisto manchego, Spanish stewed summer vegetables
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 10 min
Total
1 h 25 min
Servings
4 servings
Calories
150 kcal
Category
Sides
Cuisine
Spanish

Are you looking for a vegetable side that truly tastes of summer, simple yet full of flavour?

Then pisto manchego is the one for you. It is the most beloved vegetable dish of La Mancha, in the heart of Spain: bell peppers, zucchini, onion and tomato cooked gently in a pan until they melt into something sweet and fragrant. Let me show you how to make it step by step, without rushing.

The beauty of this recipe is its patience. There is no tricky technique, just diced vegetables and a slow cook that concentrates the flavours and softens everything until it turns creamy. The tomato binds the rest, the onion brings sweetness, the bell peppers give it body.

It has at least three clear advantages: it is completely vegan and gluten free, it is made with inexpensive vegetables you can find all year round, and it is handy because you can cook it ahead. One small trick: if the tomatoes are very acidic, a teaspoon of sugar is enough to bring everything back into balance.

Serve it warm or cold, as a side next to meat or fish, or with an egg cooked straight in the pan to turn it into a one-dish meal the Spanish way. It is even better the next day, once the flavours have had time to come together, and it keeps in the fridge for three days.

Ready? Let’s make the pisto manchego.

Base preparations used

Tomato

Steps

  1. Clean and dice the bell peppers and the zucchini. Finely chop the onion. Grate the ripe tomatoes (or cut them into small cubes).
  2. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and soften the onion for about 10 minutes, stirring.
  3. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 10 minutes, then add the zucchini and continue for 5 minutes.
  4. Pour in the grated tomato, season with salt and add the sugar if the tomatoes are very acidic.
  5. Cook over low heat without a lid for about an hour, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are soft and the sauce has reduced.

Helpful tips

The most traditional version from La Mancha uses only green bell pepper and tomato: zucchini and onion are common additions in home kitchens.

Patience is everything: slow cooking over low heat concentrates the flavours. Don't rush it.

Serve it with an egg cooked directly in the pisto, the Spanish way, to turn it into a one-dish meal.

It is even better the next day, warm or cold. It keeps for 3 days in the fridge.

Useful features

VeganEasyPan-cookedBudget-friendlyGluten-free

Average nutrition per serving

Calories
150 kcal
Carbohydrates
14.0 g
Sugars
9.0 g
Protein
3.0 g
Fat
9.0 g
Saturated fat
1.3 g
Fiber
4.0 g
Sodium
300 mg

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