Quick Sicilian caponata with bread

Name: Quick Sicilian caponata with bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500 g Aubergine; 100 g Onion; 60 g Celery stalks; 250 g Tomato; 100 g Pitted olives; 25 g Capers, drained; 15 g Pine nuts; 30 g Olive oil; 35 g Wine vinegar; 10 g Sugar; 15 g Fresh basil; 200 g White wheat bread; 50 g Water; 3 g Salt; 1 g Black pepper

Sweet-sour aubergine, tomato, celery, olives and capers finished with basil and served with toasted bread.

Estimated total time: 30 minutes2 portionsAbout 660 kcal per portion

Sicilian aubergine caponata with olives — Photo: Massimoweb · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo source. The photograph shows caponata without the measured bread; exact vegetables, vinegar, nuts and quantities are unverified.

Ingredients for 2 portions

500 g Aubergine
100 g Onion
60 g Celery stalks
250 g Tomato
100 g Pitted olives
25 g Capers, drained
15 g Pine nuts
30 g Olive oil
35 g Wine vinegar
10 g Sugar
15 g Fresh basil
200 g White wheat bread
50 g Water
3 g Salt
1 g Black pepper

Method

Cut 500 g aubergine into 1 cm cubes, dice 100 g onion and 60 g celery, chop 250 g tomato, halve 100 g pitted olives, drain 25 g capers and tear 15 g basil. Toast 15 g pine nuts in a dry pan for 1–2 minutes and set aside.
Heat 30 g olive oil in a broad pan over medium-high heat. Cook aubergine, onion and celery with 2 g salt for about 9–10 minutes, stirring until the aubergine browns and softens. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, 50 g water and 10 g sugar; simmer 7–8 minutes until the sauce clings to the vegetables.
Stir in 35 g wine vinegar and 1 g pepper; cook another 1–2 minutes. Fold in the basil and toasted pine nuts. Toast 200 g white wheat bread, then divide the caponata and bread into two substantial portions. Serve warm, or cool promptly if saving for later.

Adapted from Elena Silcock’s 25-minute caponata stew, with celery, olives, pine nuts and sweet-sour vinegar in the Sicilian style described by La Cucina Italiana (https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/italian-food/italian-dishes/sicilian-caponata-recipe). Fast pan-browning replaces salting, batch-frying and long cooling, so this is a weekday adaptation rather than the long traditional method. The photographed caponata does not show the measured bread. Choose bread and wine vinegar labelled for vegan eating; wine vinegar may contain sulphites. The 30-minute window assumes 1 cm cubes and a broad hot pan; larger pieces take longer. Calories are ingredient-based estimates.

Caponata siciliana

Allergens and ingredient checks

Listed allergens: celery, gluten, sulphites. Check actual packaging and cross-contact information. Nutrition is estimated from ingredient weights; recipe suitability depends on the specified products.

Elena Silcock / Good Food — Easy caponata stew

Adjust portions & add to shopping list