Cabbage Stew with Eggplant and Tomatoes

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make cabbage stew with eggplant and tomatoes? Gather all the vegetables listed in the recipe. Choose juicy, meaty tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes work well too — they're usually a little sweet, which nicely rounds out everything else in the stew. I used young cabbage; a more mature head works too, just note that it'll need a bit more cooking time.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash all the vegetables well. Peel off the cabbage's outer leaves — they can be tough and sometimes bruised. Peel the carrot and onion, and trim the stem ends off the eggplant.

3. Step 3:

   

   Cut the eggplant into large cubes or half-moons. If needed, soak the eggplant in salted water to draw out any bitterness — I skip this, since the variety I used isn't bitter. Grate the carrot on a coarse grater and roughly chop the onion.

4. Step 4:

   

   Cut the tomatoes into cubes or wedges. If you like, peel them first. An easy way to peel tomatoes: wash them, score a shallow criss-cross on top with a sharp knife, drop them into boiling water for 1–2 minutes, then remove, cool slightly, and slip off the skins. Shred the cabbage into squares or medium-thick strips.

5. Step 5:

   

   Heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet. Add the eggplant and fry, stirring now and then, until browned.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the onion and carrot to the eggplant. Cook until the onion turns translucent.

7. Step 7:

   

   Next up: the tomatoes and cabbage.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add them to the skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste. I added a pinch of ground pepper and a ready-made vegetable seasoning. Stir gently, cover, and simmer over medium heat until the cabbage is tender. This took me about 20 minutes.

9. Step 9:

   

   Near the end, uncover, taste, and add more salt if needed. The vegetables release liquid as they cook. If there's too much liquid for your taste, turn up the heat and let some of it cook off with the lid off.

10. Step 10:

    

    Sprinkle the finished stew with finely chopped fresh herbs. Parsley, dill, or young green onions all work well.