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Vegetarian, European

Pisto manchego with fried egg

Pisto manchego with fried egg is a Spanish summer vegetable stew, serving 4, ready in 45 minutes, rated very easy, at €2.00 per serving. The key is cooking the vegetables separately so each one keeps its own texture before they're combined with the tomato.

Tonight we're heading to central Spain, with a pisto of peppers, zucchini and tomatoes, topped with a fried egg with a runny yolk.

Pisto manchego with fried egg
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€2.00
Calories per person
650 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer
The kids
They generally like it

Pisto manchego is summer simmering slowly in the pan, peppers, zucchini and tomatoes melting together with no added water, just their own juices and a splash of olive oil. The texture stays soft but never mushy, each vegetable keeps a bit of bite, and a pinch of sugar rounds out the tomato's acidity without ever tasting sweet.

It works as a weeknight dinner when your garden or market haul is overflowing with vegetables, and it works just as well for a relaxed Sunday with the family. The fried egg on top, with its yolk left runny, turns this vegetable stew into a full meal that kids and adults both go for, especially with a slice of grilled bread for mopping up the plate.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Red bell peppers 2
  • Green bell pepper 1
  • Zucchini 2
  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 6 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Eggs 4

Bakery

  • Country bread 1

Allergens Eggs, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the peppers, zucchini and onion into evenly sized dice.

    Keep the dice around half an inch, they soften without falling apart.

  2. Cook the onion, garlic and peppers in half the oil until nice and tender. 15 min

    Cover the pan halfway so the peppers soften gently.

  3. Add the zucchini, then the tomato, salt, pepper and sugar, and let it simmer over low heat. 20 min

    The pinch of sugar tames the tomato's acidity.

  4. Fry the eggs in the remaining oil, with nicely crisped golden edges. 5 min

    Cook over medium heat, so the bottoms don't burn.

  5. Serve the pisto in shallow bowls, topped with a fried egg, with grilled bread on the side.

    Break the yolk right before eating, it coats the vegetables.

Our tips to get it right

  • Cut all the vegetables to roughly the same size, about half an inch, so they cook at the same pace.
  • Keep the pan partly covered and the heat low, the pisto should stew gently rather than boil hard.
  • Taste right before serving, that's the moment to fine tune the balance of salt, pepper and sugar.

The variations

  • Swap the canned crushed tomatoes for ripe fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced, when it's peak summer.
  • For an egg free version, serve the pisto with a bit of crumbled sheep's milk cheese on top.
  • For rushed kids, blend part of the pisto into a smooth sauce and toss it with pasta.

What to serve it with

  • Grilled country bread for dipping
  • A bit of plain white rice
  • A simple green salad on the side

Storage

Pisto keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, without the egg. It freezes well for up to 3 months, and reheats gently in a skillet, with a freshly fried egg added right before serving.

Questions about this dish

Can you make pisto ahead of time?

Yes, pisto actually tastes even better reheated the next day, once the flavors have had time to blend. Make it the day before, reheat it gently in a skillet, then add the egg right at the end.

What vegetable can replace zucchini?

Eggplant works really well, cut into the same size dice. It just needs a bit more cooking time to turn soft and tender.

Does pisto manchego freeze well?

Yes, without the egg, it freezes for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw it in the fridge before reheating it gently in a skillet.

Why cook the vegetables separately?

Peppers and onion need more time to soften than zucchini does. Adding them at different stages lets every vegetable keep its own texture instead of turning to mush.

How long does it take to make a pisto manchego with a fried egg?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a pisto manchego with a fried egg?

About 650 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a pisto manchego with a fried egg cost?

About €2.00 per serving, or €8.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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