Courgette and Red Pepper Stew with Buffalo Mozzarella and Almonds

Name: Courgette and Red Pepper Stew with Buffalo Mozzarella and Almonds
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar; 2 x 125g balls Buffalo Mozzarella; 30g Almonds; 10g Fresh Basil, leaves picked; Sea Salt, to taste; 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling; 5 Garlic Cloves, sliced; 0.5 Red Chilli, deseeded and sliced; 20g Fresh Rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped; 3 Courgettes, chopped at different angles into 3cm pieces; 2 Red Peppers, chopped into 3cm pieces; 800g Tinned Plum Tomatoes; Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

by Xanthe Ross

Vegetarian

Gluten Free

10m prep time

40m total time

Easy level

13 ingredients

Courgette and Red Pepper Stew with Buffalo Mozzarella and Almonds recipe by Xanthe Ross

While many soups and stews lend themselves to cold winter days, there are also many that I enjoy making and eating in the summer. I first cooked this in Wales when I had a glut of courgettes (zucchini) from my garden, and I now love making it every summer. Of course, you can skip the buffalo mozzarella and almonds if you want something simple, but if you feel like sprucing things up, definitely give them a go, as the vegetable flavours work so well with the creamy cheese and crunchy nuts.

Method

Based on 4 servings, adjust as needed.

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Put the oil, garlic, chilli and rosemary into a large heavy-based saucepan over a very low heat and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t catch.

Step 2

Add the courgettes and peppers along with an extra drizzle of olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and cook for a further 15 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, spread out the almonds on a baking tray (pan) and toast in the oven for 5–10 minutes until they are golden and smell toasted, checking them regularly. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cooled, roughly chop.

Step 4

Remove the stew from the heat and season again, then ladle into warmed shallow bowls and top each one with half a ball of mozzarella with a drizzle of olive oil. Top with a few basil leaves, a scattering of almonds and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Ingredients
Based on 4 servings

1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 1 x Aspall Classic Apple Cyder Vinegar 350ml
2 x 125g balls Buffalo Mozzarella 2 x Galbani Italian Mozzarella Cheese 125g
30g Almonds 1 x Sainsbury's Almonds Blanched 100g
10g Fresh Basil, leaves picked 1 x Sainsbury's Fresh Packed Basil 30g
Sea Salt, to taste 1 x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling 1 x Karyatis Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml
5 Garlic Cloves, sliced 1 x Sainsbury's Large Garlic
0.5 Red Chilli, deseeded and sliced 1 x Sainsbury's Red Chillies 65g
20g Fresh Rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped 1 x Sainsbury's Fresh Packed Rosemary 20g
3 Courgettes, chopped at different angles into 3cm pieces 1 x Sainsbury's Courgettes 500g
2 Red Peppers, chopped into 3cm pieces 2 x Sainsbury's Red Pepper
800g Tinned Plum Tomatoes 2 x Sainsbury's Italian Plum Tomatoes 400g
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste 1 x Santa Maria Extra Fine Selection of Spices Tellicherry Black Pepper