Vegetable stew with eggplants and zucchini

For vegetable stew with eggplants and zucchini, wash all vegetables. Small, thin-skinned zucchini from the new harvest do not need to be peeled. Peel all other zucchini. Cut along the entire length into 2 parts, and each in half. Remove seeds if desired. Cut each quarter into 2cm thick slices.

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes. Immediately rinse with cold, or preferably ice, water and remove the skin by making a cross cut at the bottom of the tomato. For vegetable stew, choose fleshy tomatoes, without excess juice.

Cut the tomatoes into 4 parts, remove seeds and juice.

Cut each quarter crosswise into 2-3 pieces.

You can also peel the eggplants or leave them as is - with the skin. Many people believe that peeled eggplants lose some of their flavor. Cut them in half along the entire length, each half into 2 more parts. And cut each quarter into pieces, like zucchini, 2 cm thick.

Peel the onion. Cut it in half along the entire height, slightly short of the bottom of the onion, to the “roots” - this will make it easier to cut the onion for vegetable stew. Cut it into half rings 2 cm thick.

Wash the greens and chop finely.

Peel the garlic and finely chop it too.

Combine prepared onions, eggplant and zucchini in a bowl. Add half the herbs and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the oil and mix the vegetable stew with your hands, rubbing the oil into almost every piece.

Place the vegetables on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for 15-20 minutes. Gently stir the vegetables with a spatula once during cooking so that they cook evenly and evenly.

Meanwhile, place the tomatoes, garlic and herbs in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Bring to a boil over medium heat and heat through, 5 minutes.

Reduce heat. Transfer the roasted vegetables to the pan. Add paprika, salt and pepper. Stir by drizzling oil over the vegetables. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Add finely chopped herbs, stir and remove from heat. Serve the eggplant and zucchini stew warm or cold.