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A top down view of a bowl of ciambotta or giambotta Italian vegetable stew garnished with basil sprigs and phlox flowers.
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5 from 9 votes

Ciambotta / Giambotta: An Italian Vegetable Stew

A rich, hearty Italian vegetable dish perfect for when the garden's overflowing with produce. It can be served as a side dish or a main course.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian, Italian American
Keyword: ciabotta, ciambrotta, ciammotta, cianfotta
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 300kcal
Author: Alan Bergo
Cost: 10

Equipment

  • 1 wide pot or dutch oven

Ingredients

  • 4 Roma or plum tomatoes
  • 3 medium zucchini (3 cups or 12 oz) seeded and diced 1 inch
  • 2 medium gold potatoes (2 cups or 10 oz) diced ½ inch
  • 2 cups green beans (8 oz) trimmed and sliced ½ inch
  • 1 large yellow onion (8 oz or 1.5 cups) diced ½ inch
  • 3 large cloves garlic Finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 1 can of chickpeas or cannellini beans drained* see note
  • 2.5 cups chicken stock vegetable stock, or water
  • Pinch of dried thyme or bee balm
  • plenty of Kosher salt to taste
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 10 large leaves fresh basil or to taste, thinly sliced into chiffonade
  • Extra virgin olive oil to garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Tomatoes

  • Score the tomatoes end opposite the stem with an X. Core the tomatoes with a paring knife.
  • Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil and cook the tomatoes for 1-2 minutes, or until the skins start to peel. Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water to cool until you can handle them. Squeeze out the seeds and discard with the skins. Dice the flesh into rough ½ inch cubes and reserve. There should be about 8 oz of chopped tomatoes.

Build the Giambotta

  • Heat the oil in a wide pan, like a 10 inch skillet with high sides. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick.
  • Add a pinch of salt, then the garlic, stir and cook for 30 seconds, then add the rest of the vegetables, turn the heat to medium, and cook slowly for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are about half cooked.
  • Add the stock, beans, pinch of thyme and tomatoes, bring the mixture to a brisk simmer, turn the heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced and thickened. The vegetables should be completely cooked through and tender.
  • Add the basil, season the mixture with salt to taste, stirring and repeating the process until it tastes good to you. Dishes like this take more salt than you may be used to, especially if you make it with water instead of stock.

Serving

  • Serve garnished with plenty of pecorino romano or parmesan cheese and drizzles of extra virgin olive oil. It will improve in flavor the day after it's made.

Video

Notes

Variations 

  • If you use water the dish will need extra salt. 
  • ½ cup dried beans can be cooked and used instead of canned beans. 
  • A small eggplant and bell peppers can be added in place of the string beans, dried or canned beans, and some of the zucchini. 
  • Seve the dish as a main course by itself or as a side dish to grilled pork chops, sausages, meaty fish like swordfish or tuna. 
  • Add different fresh herbs. Another friend told me his Sicilian giambotta is finsihed with fresh mint. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 10oz | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 5187mg | Fiber: 26g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Vitamin C: 261mg | Calcium: 321mg | Iron: 10mg