Giambotta

Giambotta is an Italian stew and is traditionally made with sausages. But there are so many yummy vegetables in this version of Giambotta, that no one can say this version is missing something. And with the added chopped basil and the soy parmesan cheese, this stew is comfort to the max.

This is one of those recipes that the only work needed is the chopping of a few veggies. The majority of the cooking time is spent letting the stew simmer. The recipe makes a whole lotta stew, so if you're not feeding a big family, you might want to divide all the vegetables in half. Oh and if you cannot find fire roasted tomatoes, a can of regular diced tomatoes will work just as well.

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Serves 6
Ingredients

* 2 Tb extra virgin olive oil
* 1 bay leaf
* 6 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 yellow onions, sliced thinly
* 2 small russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
* 1 eggplant, chopped
* 2 zucchini, chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
* salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (28 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes ( such as Muir Glen Organic )
* 1 cup vegetable stock or Better than Bouillon Faux Chicken Stock
* 1/2 cup chopped basil (10 to 12 leaves)
* Vegan Parmesan Cheese for garnish ( optional )

Directions
1. Heat a large sized stockpot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and bay leaf and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.


2. Add the remaining vegetables, except for the tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, lower heat and let cook for 20 minutes, stirring often.


3. Uncover and add the diced tomatoes and stock and cook for 20 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender.


4. Turn off heat, remove bay leaf, and stir in the chopped basil.