Sofegada

Sofegada (Greek Tomato, Potato, Pepper & Eggplant Stew)

Sofegada is a classic Greek summer stew that braises potatoes, peppers, and eggplant together in a rich tomato sauce until meltingly tender. It is traditionally served warm, either as a main with crusty bread or as a side alongside feta and olives.

Prep

15 min

Cook

60 min

Total

75 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •700 g (1 lb 9 oz) ripe tomatoes, fresh, peeled and grated; or 400 g (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) waxy potatoes, e.g. Yukon Gold or Greek 'Lipa'
• •1 medium eggplant (aubergine), about 300 g / 10½ oz
• •2 medium green bell peppers (or long green peppers)
• •1 medium red onion
• •3 cloves garlic
• •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
• •1 tbsp tomato paste
• •1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Greek
• •1 bay leaf bay leaf
• •5 g (1 tsp) sea salt, adjust to taste
• •0.5 g (¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) water, only if sauce thickens too quickly

Steps

1. 1 Peel the tomatoes, grate them on the coarse side of a box grater, and discard the skins. If using canned tomatoes, simply crush them by hand.
2. 2 Peel the potatoes and cut them into roughly 3 cm (1¼ in) chunks. Cut the eggplant into similar-sized chunks. Slice the peppers into strips about 2 cm (¾ in) wide. Finely chop the onion and slice the garlic.
3. 3 Optional but traditional: soak the eggplant chunks in lightly salted water for 20 minutes, then drain and pat dry. This softens any bitterness.
4. 4 Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 4–5 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
5. 5 Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until darkened, then add the grated tomatoes, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
6. 6 Add the potatoes and peppers first, stir to coat, then nestle the eggplant on top. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 35–40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes so nothing sticks.
7. 7 The stew is ready when the potatoes are completely tender (a knife slides in with no resistance, internal temperature of the potato chunks above 85 °C / 185 °F) and the oil has risen to the surface of the tomato sauce. If the sauce gets too thick before the vegetables are done, add a splash of water.
8. 8 Remove the bay leaf, taste and adjust the salt. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve warm with crusty bread or alongside feta and olives.