Piperade is a classic, easy Basque stew that features green peppers, onions, tomatoes & chilli, my version turns this dish into a great side.
This is one of those recipes that takes longer to prepare than it does to cook. Budget around 15 minutes for prep and a shade over 10 minutes to cook.
Basque Tomato, Onion and Pepper Stew
Piperade is a simple yet delicious Basque stew that stars green peppers, onions and tomatoes.
It's very much a "brother from another mother" of dishes like Hungarian lecsó, Italian peperonata and of course, French ratatouille.
The green peppers, white onion and red tomatoes are a symbol of the Basque flag, and this recipe comes in many variants.
I like to serve this as a side dish, and as a result, I prefer a drier vegetable stew. My addition of garlic can be controversial in some circles, but I think it tastes fantastic.
I also add a splash of Spanish sherry vinegar, because a little acidity lifts the flavour of the tomatoes beautifully.
Finally, a wee sprinkle of chilli completes what is a delicious and stupidly easy recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use red peppers?
If you like, however, the green of the pepper symbolises the green in the Basque flag, so you will be missing that mark!
But it's your dinner, knock yourself out, using red pepper does make this dish a little sweeter.
Do I have to add the chilli?
No, feel free to omit it if you wish. This recipe traditionally uses Espelette pepper, a Basque speciality, which can be found in the UK in online stores.
I'm not much of a supporter of online grocery shopping, and as a result, I use whatever dried chilli takes my fancy at the time. Gochujgaru Korean chilli pepper, which is inconceivably more readily available in the UK, is superb in this recipe.
Do I have to peel the tomatoes?
"Have to" is a strong statement, but I think that this recipe is much better without tomato skin being strewn through it.
Is there a substitution for sherry vinegar?
You can use a variety of vinegars in this dish, red wine, white wine and cider vinegar all fair very well. However, they will all give the dish a slightly different taste.
Can I make this in advance?
You can, but I prefer the vegetables to retain a bit of texture and like to serve it immediately. But it is fantastic at room temperature with bread, which I think is the best use if you want to make this in advance.
Serving Suggestions
Piperade is most often served as a light meal, combined with egg or with some nice bread as a starter.
The "traditional" way to serve it with egg is to take it to my final cooking point, then add lightly beaten egg and scramble it in the stew. It is delicious with fried chorizo or Bayonne ham, and it makes for a wonderful breakfast, lunch or starter.
However, I love serving this as a vegetable side dish, it is magical with a host of meat, fish or even vegetarian main dishes.
In the image below it is served with my "Spanish" pork chops and chorizo sausage.
It's not just pork that this recipe works with, these Spanish chicken kebabs or these Spanish chicken thighs with potatoes would be fantastic additions.
This recipe pairs beautifully with a piece of pan-fried fish, but also with something like my bacon-wrapped cod or even breaded cod recipes.
If you want to stick with a vegetarian option, how about my hot honey glazed halloumi cheese or honey and miso-glazed tofu.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 20cm or 8" saucepan.
- 25cm or 10" frying pan.
- Sieve, slotted spoon or colander.
- Bowl to refresh the tomatoes in cold water.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales and measuring spoons.
Piperade Basque Tomato and Pepper "Stew" Recipe
Tomato, pepper and onion stews are pretty common across a host of European cuisines, piperade is a delightfully simple and delicious Basque variant from North West Spain and into France. Its simplicity is matched by its speed of preparation, this recipe will go from your vegetable rack to your table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 (400-450g Total) Medium-Large Tomatoes
- 1 (150-200g) Medium-Large Onion
- 1 (200-250g) Large Green Pepper
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ¼-½ teaspoon Salt
- ½-1 teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
- 1 tablespoon Sherry Vinegar
- Fresh Parsley to Garnish
Instructions
- Bring 20cm (8") saucepan of water to a boil, cut a shallow cross in the skin at the base of the tomatoes and when the water boils, add the tomatoes and cook for 60-90 seconds, then transfer to a bowl of cold water.
- Top and tail the onion (whilst you prepare the tomatoes), cut it in half, peel it and then cut it into 5-6mm (¼") slices from top to bottom of the onion.
- Cut the stem from the green pepper, remove the seeds, and then cut it into strips the same width as the onion.
- By now the tomatoes should be cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard it, cut the tomatoes in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and set them aside. Then cut the flesh of the tomato into strips the same width as the pepper and onion.
- Peel the garlic cloves and slice them as finely as you can.
- Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a medium-high heat and when it is hot add the olive oil, followed by the onions and green pepper strips, then saute for 5-7 minutes.
- Toss in the garlic slices, tomatoes and salt, then saute for another 3 minutes.
- Take the seeds from the tomatoes and squeeze out the "water" from the seeds into the pan, discard the seeds and then add the sherry vinegar and dried chilli flakes, and saute for a final minute or two.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 245Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 309mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 6gSugar: 15gProtein: 5g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.