Zucchini stew is an Italian inspired vegan stew that's both comforting and hearty. It's easy to whip up as a quick weeknight meal and made with simple ingredients like canned tomatoes, zucchini, and cannellini beans.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Mild, savory, fresh, bright.
Vegan and gluten-free: This stew is packed with cannellini beans, tomatoes, zucchini, onion, and fresh basil, and is vegan and gluten-free as written.
Ready in 30 minutes: Made on the stovetop and a great weeknight meal.
Serves: 4 people
Similar to: Vegetable Orzo Soup and Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil - Any neutral cooking oil works.
- Onion - Adds flavor to your stew.
- Garlic - I recommend using fresh cloves of garlic rather than jarred, pre-minced garlic. Jarred garlic often has a harsh flavor when compared to fresh garlic or garlic powder. Two cloves of garlic can be substituted with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder if needed.
- Zucchini - You'll need two medium zucchini for your stew. Zucchini can be substituted with yellow summer squash.
- Tomatoes - Canned diced tomatoes can be substituted with petite diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes for a smoother, thicker tomato base.
- Cannellini beans - We're using canned beans in this recipe to save time. However, canned beans can be substituted with your favorite cooked beans.
- Seasoning - Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes add depth of flavor to your stew. Italian seasoning can be substituted with your favorite Italian herbs, like oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary.
- Fresh basil - I highly recommend adding fresh chopped basil leaves to your stew. Fresh basil adds impeccable flavor that really can't be substituted.
How to make zucchini stew
- Sauté onions and garlic in a stock pot.
- Add tomatoes, zucchini, beans, and seasoning.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until vegetables are tender to your liking.
- Add fresh basil, stir to incorporate, and serve.
Storage
Zucchini stew will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container and reheats well in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Freeze leftover stew for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed, freezer safe container. Zucchini may get a little softer after freezing and thawing, but the stew as a whole freezes well.
Frequently asked questions
A medium zucchini is around 7 to 9 inches in length. The exact size of your zucchini doesn't affect the outcome of the recipe, which is why I don't include exact measurements like I do in other recipes.
Yes, yellow summer squash (or other types of squash) could be used instead of zucchini. Diced carrots and celery can be sauteed with the onion, and diced tomatoes can be substituted with crushed tomatoes for a smoother texture.
📖 Recipe
Zucchini Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 14 ounces canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 medium zucchini, cubed
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 10 fresh basil leaves, julienned
Instructions
- In a stock pot over medium heat, add olive oil. when hot, add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until they begin to lightly brown around the edges. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes, beans, zucchini, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until zucchini is cooked through to your liking. Add fresh basil and stir to incorporate.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Storage: Leftovers keep well in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Stew can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed, freezer safe container. Zucchini will soften slightly from freezing and thawing.
- Serving tips: Serve stew with crusty bread, a side salad, or with cheese sprinkled on top.
This looks delicious! Would you be able to substitute the zucchini with delicata squash?
Hi Tina, I bet delicata squash would work great! The cooking time may increase slightly depending on the size of your cubes.
Just made it. Very easy and delicious.
Sounds great, but zucchini is not listed in the ingredients. How much?
Thank you so much Pamela for noticing! I had listed it within the post but it was missing from the recipe card. This has been fixed - you'll need two medium zucchini for this recipe 🙂
Prep time is NOT 5 minutes! More like 30 minutes. And I wish the length of a “medium” zucchini was given because I had to randomly guess.
Hi Ellen, the exact size of the zucchini will not affect the outcome of recipe, which is why I don't include a more exact measurement (like length or weight) like I do in other recipes. Medium zucchini is generally about 7 to 9 inches in length, but using a slightly smaller or larger zucchini works just fine. I'm sorry that you're disappointed in the prep time listed. I include how long it takes me to chop an onion, garlic, and zucchini. The rest of the ingredients are measured straight into the pot while the stew cooks.