Soufiko: A Greek Vegetable Casserole
I learned this baked version of Soufiko, a Greek vegetable dish that’s typically stewed, while cooking in Ikaria with the venerable Diane Kochilas.
Soufiko is a Greek vegetable stew that originates in Ikaria, though it’s not completely unlike myriad vegetable stews that you can find slow cooking in home kitchens around the country. This version, a riff on a recipe taught to me by Diane Kochilas, is reimagined as a casserole and baked instead of stewed in a pot. By some magical alchemy, the twist takes Soufiko from tasty to sublime.
All you need for this recipe are vegetables, leeks, garlic, salt, and olive oil. Other than potatoes and tomatoes, which are constant, I love using late summer staples (that tend to be available all year around): peppers (Cubanelle or bell), zucchini, and eggplant.
Some important notes:
✨ Slice all your veggies to the same approximate thickness. You want everything to cook evenly.
✨ Press down on each layer of vegetables to make them as compact as possible.
✨ If you make this when tomatoes are out of season, your grated tomatoes will be watery and less flavorful; you can either add tomato paste or substitute canned pureed tomatoes for half of the fresh.
✨ You can always add fresh herbs! I love using dill. Fresh oregano would be great too. Add them to the sauce when you add the tomatoes in step two below.
✨ This is delicious as is, right out of the oven, or topped with crumbled feta cheese.
This version of Soufiko is very forgiving, but though laid back, it’s not exactly quick. Be prepared for a number of steps, but rest easy knowing that each step is quite simple and — more than that — beyond worth it.
Soufiko: A Greek Vegetable Casserole
Makes 6 to 8 servings (as a side)
Ingredients
8 small-medium potatoes, cut into 1/4″-thick slices
4 Cubanelle peppers (you can substitute bell peppers), each cut into 4 to 6 slabs
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4″-thick slices
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4″-thick slices
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
3/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 leeks, chopped
4 large tomatoes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay slices of potato, pepper, zucchini, and eggplant on parchment lined baking sheets in a single layer. Sprinkle all of the vegetables with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until just tender and some of the veg start to brown/crisp around the edges, about 35 minutes.
While the vegetables are baking, heat the 3/4 cups of olive oil in a medium pot set over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and leeks; sauté until soft and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. In the meantime, grate the tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater. Add the juice and pulp to the softened aromatics and simmer until most of the water evaporates and the sauce thickens a bit, about 20-30 minutes. Taste and season with more salt as desired.
Once the vegetables are out of the oven and the sauce is ready, it’s time to start building the casserole in an 8×8″ baking dish. Begin by placing as many par-baked potato slices as can fit in a single layer on the bottom of the casserole and spoon some sauce over the top. Top with a single layer of par-baked peppers and spoon some more sauce over them. Using a piece of parchment paper, press down on the two layers, getting them as compact as possible. Next, add a layer of eggplant and top with sauce; press down with the paper. Top with a layer of zucchini and sauce, and press. Continue this process, alternating vegetables. As you run out of vegetables, it’s okay to create a layer using a mix of veg: the important thing is to layer sauce and press down between each layer. Make sure to leave enough sauce to top the final layer of vegetables with sauce.
Place casserole dish in the oven and bake until all the vegetables are very tender and the sauce is bubbling, about 35 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.
