Quick Vegan Summer Stew Recipe

Cooking on the stovetop or in the oven when it's hot just turns me off. I don't want anything to do with any extra heat sources. But I simply couldn't bear the thought of consuming another raw tomato/pepper salad. Summer and humidity be damned I had to cook something. 

So I figured the faster I could cook it, the better. 

I  used a large frying pan to quickly cook down the tomatoes and green pepper. They take the longest to cook. The smaller peppers and garlic took no time at all. Total cook time was only about 15 minutes. Still it has the feel of something that was simmering for a while. 

The wide open cooking area of the frying pan reduces the liquids quicker, provides more intense heat to the ingredients and simulates the slow stewing process pretty well considering how little time the ingredients actually spent on the stovetop. 

It results in variations of textures and nuances of flavor that raw preparations simply can't. It was a welcome change. 

Ingredients
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 long hot pepper, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbls olive oil
1 tbl spicy mustard
2 1/2 tsps salt
2 tsps basil
1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper

Cook down the tomatoes for 5 minutes and then add the bell pepper. Simmer for 5-7 minutes while you prep the other vegetables. Adding each as they are ready. 

Stir in the oil, mustard and seasonings and allow to continue simmering about 5 more minutes. 

Kill the heat. Stir in the garbanzos. Let rest on the stove a few more minutes.