Tourlou Tourlou: Greek Oven Roasted Vegetable Stew

To my knowledge tourlou tourlou translates in Greek to all mixed up. I love saying tourlou tourlou. Roll your r’s and repeat tourlou tourlou as though conjuring up a most intoxicating spell. And, I suppose this rustic all vegetable stew could be likened to an intoxicating spell all its own. Vegan friendly and the perfect hearty crowd pleaser for a dinner party or weekend meal prep, the fresh vegetables in this one pan miracle meal speak for themselves and it will speak to you.

Inspired by last Friday nights dinner at Bahari in my beloved Astoria, I had to remake this meal at home. I went to the market this past Sunday morning and got the best of the best vegetables from my friend Helen and went to work. The great part about tourlou is not only the incredibly rich tasting and delicious end product, but there’s no fussy precision needed when it comes to preparation. Bonus, you also make it in one giant pan in the oven. This is truly a rustic dish prepared with large cuts of vegetables, almost meat like in size, and beyond satisfying because of just that. Traditional staples in tourlou are zucchini and big pieces of potato; anything else is totally your call. Riffing off of my Friday night fare and scoping out market freshness, I ended up with: bell peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, onions and, of course, zucchini and potatoes. Now we’re all mixed up in one giant tray, semi-drowned in olive oil and ready to roast on a very chilly NYC fall day. In 2 hours, I’ll be living in a soft, sweet, supple, vegetable paradise. 

The ultimate meatless Monday medley of vegetables cooked to a soft and sweetened perfection, you’ll wonder why you’ve been living so long without making this one pan wonder in your home. And as I’ve been trying to be mindful of eating less meat, understanding when my body needs something vs a want or a habit - stews based with hearty vegetables sure help along the way in learning. I’ve got some more veggie dishes coming up soon but, for now, the recipe for Tourlou is below the photos.

XO

Tourlou

2 large onions, sliced into thick chunks
3 medium zucchini, sliced in half and then lengthwise into thick slices
1 medium eggplant, cut into large chunks
3 bell peppers, seeds removed and sliced thick 
2 large potatoes, peeled and quartered 
1 box of white mushrooms, cleaned and halved 
1 can of diced tomatoes (or 1 pint of fresh cherry tomatoes, halved) + 2 tablespoons of tomato paste 
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil 
¼ cup of water (or wine, this last go around I used my white drinking wine and it was a flavor game changer) as needed 
2 tablespoons of dried oregano 
Salt to taste 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all vegetables in a large roasting pan (I used the roasting pan I use for Thanksgiving turkey because it’s extra large and provides enough room for all vegetables and tossing. You can also use a large disposable aluminum foil roasting pan), add olive oil, oregano and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat and add diced tomatoes and tomato paste. The vegetables will release water while roasting, but I still add in a little water at the onset of putting them in the oven. Roast for 45 minutes and check vegetables to make sure nothing is sticking (by now veggies will start cooking down) and add water if needed. Continue to cook for an additional 25-35 minutes, until vegetables are soft and potatoes are fork tender. Remove from the oven. Serve as is or can be served with rice, grain of choice, as a main meal or a side. Top with fresh feta if you choose.