Sebzeli Güveç

Vegetable Casserole 

• 2 Eggplants
• 2 Potatoes
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1 c. Green Beans
• 2 Onions
• 2 Green Peppers
• 1 Sweet Red Pepper
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 2 T. Tomato Paste
• 2 T. Sweet Red Pepper Paste
• Water
• ½ tsp. Salt
• ¼ tsp. Black Pepper
• ½ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• ½ tsp. Thyme or Basil
• Olive Oil
• 2 T. Butter

1. To prepare the vegetables wash all very well then peel Eggplants, Potatoes, and Tomatoes. Cut Eggplants into large cubes and Potatoes & Tomatoes into smaller cubes. Cut Green Beans into bite-sized pieces. Cut Onions and Bell Peppers into chunks. Slice the Garlic Cloves. Toss all vegetables into a mixing bowl as you prepare them.
2. In a small bowl or cup, mix together the Tomato and Red Pepper Pastes with some water until it makes a nice sauce. (Or you can just use Tomato Sauce which is much more easily available in the US than in Turkey. If you can’t find the Red Pepper Paste, just add more of the Tomato.)
3. Mix the Seasonings into the Sauce and pour over the vegetables. Toss to mix.
4. Pour the vegetable mixture into a baking dish (best to use a clay cooker like a Römertopf as pictured below).
5. Pour some Olive Oil over the mixture.
6. Make small dollops of Butter on top.
7. Pour some water (about ¼ c.) into the mixture.
8. Cover and bake until done. (If using a clay cooker I suggest you put it in a cool oven and then turn the heat on. Güveç is very flexible and can be cooked at a very high heat in half an hour or slow cooked for several hours. Do whatever works best for you and your oven.)

* For vegetable lovers, serve this with Sebzeli Pilav as this is a nice side dish of rice with 3 vegetables not in this casserole. They complement each other well. Other options instead which go well with this casserole are: Lentil & Bulgur Pilaf, Bulgur Pilaf, or Rice Pilaf The yogurt/cucumber side dish, Cacık Sauce, compliments this meal very well. With a hearty pilaf this casserole can easily serve 6 adults.

Beautiful Veggies!

All of the vegetables chopped up and mixed together

Sauce added and everything in the clay cooker; ready for the oven

Delicious casserole, ready to serve!

Individually plated and served with Sebzeli Pilav