Pisto
A fuss-free Spanish vegan built around ripe tomatoes and zucchini — roughly 60 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for pan and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, every ingredient resolved to a plant source.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegan — no meat, fish, dairy, egg or honey, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: none of the major allergens we track from the ingredients listed.
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Score the bottom of the tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds, then peel, deseed, and chop them into a rough pulp, or grate them on a box grater for a smoother sauce.
- Warm the olive oil in a wide deep pan over medium heat and gently cook the finely diced onion with the bay leaf for about 8 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned, then stir in the chopped garlic for a further minute.
- Add the diced green and red peppers and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until they begin to soften and release their sweetness.
- Stir in the diced zucchini and cook for another 8 minutes so it softens but still holds its shape.
- Pour in the prepared tomato pulp, add the sugar, and season with salt and pepper, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the mixture is thick and jammy.
- Discard the bay leaf, taste and adjust the seasoning, and rest the pisto for a few minutes before serving warm or at room temperature with crusty bread.
You'll use: Pan · Saucepan
What to serve with Pisto
- Seafood fideuà Seafood
- Spanish Tortilla Vegetarian
- Migas Miscellaneous
- Spiced tortilla Vegetarian
Tips & common questions
How long does Pisto take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Pisto vegan?
Every ingredient listed on this page resolved to a plant or mineral source in our ingredient ontology — no meat, fish, shellfish, dairy, egg or honey. Labels can still differ by brand, so check packaged items.
Related recipes
Original recipe — developed in-house by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Pisto is an original Spanish recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Pisto, sofrito de verduras.jpg by Juan Emilio Prades Bel, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.