This quick and easy vegan ratatouille is a colourful, naturally gluten-free one-pot meal that's ready to eat in about 30 minutes.
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Vegetables are the true stars of the show in this colourful, rustic, and easy vegan ratatouille recipe that is naturally vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, and perfect for using up surplus summer vegetables.
What Is Ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a traditional French vegetable stew originating from Provence, that farmers would make to use up their surplus vegetables. "Touiller" in French means 'to toss' or 'stir it up' hence the name.
There are many different ways of cooking ratatouille, from slicing the vegetables very thinly then layering them up and baking, to sauteeing each individual vegetable before combining them all at the end.
I like to cook the vegetables like you would a stew, but relatively quickly so that they retain their texture. It's simple, quick (once all the veggies are prepped and chopped into chunky pieces), easy and delicious.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make ratatouille:
A quick note regarding the fennel seeds - They are optional but recommended. They add a very, very subtle hint of aniseed flavor. It sounds strange but trust me on this one. I am not an aniseed lover so if it comes from me it must be worth it! The flavor works so well with the vegetables, really elevating their flavors and making it special in a way you can't pinpoint.
Success tip - In season (and local too if possible) vegetables will have the best flavor, which in turn will make your ratatouille taste even more special. If your tomatoes aren't at their best you can boost their flavor by adding a tablespoon of white or cane sugar at any stage in the cooking process.
How To Make Vegan Ratatouille
You will need a large Dutch oven or soup pot. When chopped and raw the veggies take up a lot of space so I recommend using a minimum of a 5-quart pot. 6 quart is a bit more comfortable. By the time they have cooked their volume reduces by about half so don't worry about ending up with mountains of ratatouille.
Here's a quick summary of how to make this easy ratatouille recipe. Be sure to watch my recipe video too:
- Saute the onions and garlic.
- Add all of the other ingredients, stir then simmer gently until the vegetables are tender. Note that no liquid is added. The veggies provide all the liquid you need once they start cooking.
Serving Suggestions
Ratatouille can be eaten as a side dish or a main dish. Serve simply with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and some baguette, no knead focaccia, or crusty bread to mop up the delicious juice.
It's also really good with fluffy rice, pasta, grits, polenta, or mashed potatoes. A sprinkle of fried capers or crumbles of vegan feta, parmesan or ricotta are very welcome additions too!
Recipe
Easy Vegan Ratatouille
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil ,(use water to saute for oil-free)
- 1 large onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , chopped finely
- 1 large eggplant / aubergine , diced into ¾ inch pieces
- 2 large zucchini , diced into ¾ inch pieces
- 2 large bell peppers , deseeded & cut into ¾ inch pieces
- 2lb (900g or about 8 large) fresh tomatoes , diced into chunky pieces
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 fresh sprig , or 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds , optional but recommended
- 1 large bay leaf
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place a large pan that holds at least 5 to 6 quarts/litres, over medium heat and add the olive oil. Feel free to add more olive oil if you like ;O) (If you are wanting to keep the recipe oil-free use a little water to saute instead).
- When hot add the onions and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add all of the other ingredients, give it a good stir and allow to come to a steady simmer. Do not add any liquid. There is enough moisture in the vegetables.
- Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the tomatoes have mostly broken down.
- Remove the bay leaf before serving.
NOTES
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NUTRITION
Recipe FAQS
Eggplant is an integral part of the dish so I recommend using it if possible. If you can't though use more zucchini and bell peppers instead.
If you need to use canned tomatoes use good quality canned whole tomatoes and chop them up. San Marzano canned tomatoes are the best ones if you can get them. Don't use diced tomatoes because they contain calcium chloride which stops them from breaking down when cooked.
I haven't tested it in an Instant Pot but I think it would be ok. Saute the onion and garlic as per the recipe but in the inner pot, then turn it off and add everything else. I've never tried it but I think probably 5 minutes of high pressure would be enough with a natural pressure release.
Yes. Simply saute the onions and garlic, then add everything to a large, ovenproof dish. Cover with a lid or some foil and bake at 400°F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
zugzwang says
Can you add cloves to the recipe to make it spicier??
A Virtual Vegan says
I personally wouldn't add cloves to ratatouille but you could if you wanted to. Just go easy as it's pretty powerful.
I'm not a fan of cloves with tomato-ey dishes myself. They are quite strong and in this will take away from the fennel flavour which is really lovely. I sometimes add chilli though, fresh or dried. Hope that helps!
Anton says
Good recipe, but I would not use the fennel seeds because it ruins the taste of the veggie. If you have to I would substitute them with your favorite spice.
Alexander J Rauch says
Far exceeds expectations! Excellent recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!
Joanna says
Oh! I almost forgot... I also added some blended up basil and olive oil (pseudo pesto) that I had in my freezer from our last big batch of CSA herbs and I put some frozen chunks on the bottom of my bowl before spooning in the piping hot ratatouille. The heat from the meal melted the pesto and left me with DELICIOUS little surprises in my bowl every once in a while! A vegan pesto would do the same trick, whether frozen or fresh, whether on top of the dish or buried at the bottom. <3
Joanna says
So much flavour! Farmers' Market tomatoes make a world of difference :)
I added a bit of extra olive oil and a touch LESS salt (1.5 tsp instead of 2 tsp) plus an extra bay leaf. This meal was a total hit and we will definitely be adding it into our regular dinner rotation. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Joanna. It's the perfect recipe to be using your farmer's market tomatoes in! Thank you for stopping by to leave feedback!
Deb says
How much water do you use in the pan when simmering?
A Virtual Vegan says
You only need water if you are making the recipe oil-free and then it's just a tablespoon or two plus an extra drop every now and again to stop things sticking to the pan. Once the initial sautéing is over and all the vegetables are added to the pan, no water is added. The moisture comes from the vegetables themselves. here are lots of tomatoes in it and they release enough to make it nicely saucy.
Caroline@pickledplum says
This Ratatouille is one of my favorite side dishes of all time! My husband and I love it so much we use it as spaghetti sauce these days :)
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome! I serve it like that sometimes too. It's so versatile.
John says
Mel, I just wanted to stop by to say how much I enjoy this recipe. I have now made it several times, and each time I am kind of blown away by how much I love it. I think that the thing that makes it stand out is the way that the fennel and rosemary carry the dish on their own. Adding other typical herbs for a ratatouille would muck it up. Also preparation is such a breeze. Once the vegetables are all cut up and ready to go the cooking is a snap. Thank you so much!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you John! I appreciate you stopping by to leave feedback and am so glad you are enjoying it. I love it too and make it often. I think fennel is a much under-used herb which is a shame. It's great with tomatoey flavours.
Susannah says
I've been making this ratatouille ever since you first shared it -- it's the best way to use up the bounty from our CSA, and I freeze several batches to enjoy in winter.YUM.
Jac says
Great recipe! The whole family loved it. The fennel adds a lovely touch!
Christine says
Such a great way to eat vegetables and easy to make too.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Christine!
Caroline says
Awesome recipe. Thank you for sharing. It's a regular in our house.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you. You couldn't get much healthier!
Angie says
Delicious!
kristen says
yum!! thanks for sharing this! It was a great way to use up all of my tomatoes.
Katarzyna says
So good. We served it with rice. tasty meal indeed.
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you like it!
Ali says
Yum...we always called this dish Hot Salad growing up. Loved it then and love it now. Your recipe is delish!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! I love that you called it hot salad! So funny!