Giambotta: Italian Vegetable Soup Recipe
Giambotta, or Italian vegetable soup, is a rustic mix of zucchini, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes simmered in a San Marzano base. Once a school cookbook project pick, this simple dish has become one of my favorite comforting recipes — cozy, nourishing, and perfect with crusty bread for dipping.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium eggplant diced
- 2 zucchini sliced into half moons
- 2 potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 bell peppers chopped
- 1 can 28 oz San Marzano tomatoes (crushed)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 Parm rind optional, for extra depth. *See Notes
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves torn
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cooking until softened and fragrant.
- Stir in eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, and peppers. Cook for 5–7 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Crush and pour in the San Marzano tomatoes and vegetable broth. Stir in capers and the optional Parm rind.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for about 25–30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the vegetables have melded into the broth.
- Remove the Parm rind, stir in fresh basil, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread.
Notes
-For a vegan version, skip the Parm rind.
-No Parm Rind? No Problem. If you don’t have a Parmesan rind to simmer in the broth, just finish the soup with about ¼ to ½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese stirred in at the end. It melts into the broth and gives you that same savory depth.
-This soup tastes even better the next day once the flavors meld together. Try serving leftovers over rice for a cozy twist.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
