Are you looking for an easy Ratatouille recipe which is ready in about 30 minutes?! Check out this flavorful and healthy Ratatouille recipe which contains only veggies and is therefore low in calories (low carb and keto). This easy vegetable stew is a delicious vegan dish which can be served as a side (with e.g. bread/rice) or as a hearty main.
What Is Ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a classic French vegetable dish which is vegan and contains eggplant (aubergine), zucchini, tomatoes, onion, and peppers. The veggies are fried and cooked in some oil. I prefer not to use too much oil and added red wine which made the vegan Ratatouille even more delicious in my opinion! My recipe is not a classic/traditional French Ratatouille but that doesn’t mean it’s not as good!
Ingredients Of This Easy Ratatouille Recipe
As mentioned before, this easy Ratatouille recipe contains lots of colorful and healthy veggies. The Ratatouille ingredients which I used are eggplant (aubergine), zucchini, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and pepper. Furthermore, I added different spices to make the Ratatouille a little bit spicy and very flavorful.
I really hate boring/bland savory dishes, so I always season them really well. In addition to the veggies and spices, I also added red wine (you can use vegetable broth instead), a little bit tomato paste, and balsamic vinegar. And that’s pretty much it. This vegan Ratatouille is seriously an easy recipe which everyone can make for dinner.
How To Make Ratatouille?
First, you need to chop all the veggies. I prefer chunky pieces, about 3 cm in diameter but you can chop the veggies smaller if you like. The smaller you chop the veggies the faster they will cook.
So, after you chopped the veggies, heat oil in a pan. You can use olive oil or any other vegetable oil of choice. One tablespoon is enough in my opinion. First, fry the onion over medium heat, for about 4-5 minutes until lightly browned.
Next, add the eggplant and cook it for 8-10 minutes or until softened (I added the red wine and all spices after a few minutes). Finally, add the other veggies and cook for a further 10 minutes. I like it when the veggies aren’t too soft but if you prefer them really soft, cook them for a few minutes more.
Finally, add the balsamic vinegar and tomato paste. Ready is your easy Ratatouille recipe.
Can I Freeze Ratatouille?
Yes, you can double the recipe and freeze half of the batch. Place in an airtight container and freeze the Ratatouille for up to 3 months. Thaw and then reheat in a skillet when you want to eat it!
This Easy Ratatouille Recipe Is:
- Vegan
- Gluten-Free
- Low in calories
- Low-carb
- Keto
- Healthy
- Flavorful
- Hearty
- Comforting
- Easy to make
- A delicious dinner or side
- Cooked in one pot (skillet)
Difference between Ratatouille and Tian?
If you want to bring this easy savory recipe to a party, I would recommend making a Tian. What is a Tian you might ask? It’s basically the same dish, however, the veggies are thinly sliced with a mandoline, layered in a baking dish, and then cooked in the oven. It looks very nice and impressive, almost mesmerizing.
I made it a few times in the past and really loved how pretty it turned out. I must admit though that it was pretty time consuming to make a Tian. Therefore I probably won’t make it again when I am alone or just cook for my family. But it’s really a nice eye-catcher for a party! 🙂 Here you can see a picture:
Should you recreate this easy Ratatouille recipe, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see how your vegan Ratatouille turned out! And for more vegan stews, definitely also check out the following recipes: Easy Lentil Stew and Vegan Gumbo.
Easy Ratatouille Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant (aubergine)
- 1 large zucchini
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/4 cup red wine or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp brown sugar or any other sweetener
- 3/4 tsp sea salt (or less/more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/3 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or less if you don't like it too spicy)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Fresh thyme chopped roughly (to taste)
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop all veggies (eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper) into 1-inch (3 cm) pieces. Finely chop onion and garlic.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, add onion and sauté for about 4-5 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Add garlic and eggplant and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the red wine and all spices. Let simmer on low-medium heat for a further 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add all remaining ingredients (except tomato paste and balsamic vinegar) and cook for about 10 minutes or until the veggies are soft (but not mushy). If you prefer more sauce, add more red wine or broth.
- Finally, add the tomato paste (you can add more than 1 tbsp if you want a thicker sauce) and the balsamic vinegar.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Enjoy! This easy Ratatouille recipe can be served with bread or rice.
Notes
- If you don't like any of these spices, for example, oregano, simply leave them out. You can also add fresh basil if you like the taste.
- Recipe serves 3. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Great recipe but I have no clue how you’re supposed to prep all the veggies in 7 minutes. Just expect it to take longer than advertised if you’re an average home cook.
I would like to add pasta, would this work?
Sure, why not. 🙂
I used extra garlic and yellow squash with the Zucchini and green and orange bell pepper… i served it over steamed parsley and dill weed jasmine rice… it was absolutely amazing! wanted to post a picture but didn’t know how! Absolutely delicious!
That’s awesome, Shannon! Thanks so much for your great feedback. If you are on Instagram, you can DM me the photo or post it and tag me. 🙂
I’ve made this twice now and my family loves it! The first time I made it the way the recipe says, but we added some sausage too for protein. We discovered after making it that one of my daughters is allergic to eggplant and so I subbed in more zucchini the second and it came out really well! I have some leftover uncooked tomato and zucchini now and I wondered if I could chop the veggies ahead of time and freeze them and then thaw them when I’m ready to cook. I saw that you said you could cook it ahead and freeze that, but I wondered if it’d work without cooking first. Thanks!
I think that should be fine. 🙂
Hi ..I am going to make this for the first time but am not used to cooking with eggplant ..does it have to be peeled? Thank you ..
No, I always leave the peel on. 🙂
I have yellow squash as well as zucchini: Would it be okay to add yellow squash as well?
Yes, that should be fine. 🙂
Could I freeze this recipe? I have an abundance of eggplant right now, and can’t possibly eat it all right now lol.
Yes!
We loved.this dish. I grew eggplant this year and wanted to try new things.. I took the liberty of adding Kalamata Olives, because I love them, It was a great meal with pasta. Thank you for posting this recipe!!
That’s so good to hear, Kate! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
This is AMAZING! Made it with veggies from my garden. Definitely a keeper!
So glad it turned out delish, Kathleen! 🙂
My husband like it. The recipe order was a little different than how I cook but the ingredients were good. I don’t think the smoked paprika and ginger were good fit. I won’t put them in if I make this again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Thanks for your feedback, Leah. 🙂
Hi thank you for the recipe. The taste was good. And as I dont have an oven this made it possible for me to make ratatouille. However the 3 cm pieces are way too big. I halved them bit they were still much too big and took a long time to cook. Longer than the recipe suggests. I would make it again but maybe 1 cm pieces.
Thanks for your feedback, Froan. 🙂
love this recipe. I make it and then blend it and my son thinks its the best spaghetti sauce!
he dosent’ even know its healthy and full of veggiews!
That’s awesome, Keri! I am glad you both like it. 🙂
I made this as a side with Italian ground pork sausage. I didn’t have eggplant but used two zucchinis cut pretty large. Also, I used just fresh tomatoes, no sauce or tomato paste. Sprinkled Mozzarella cheese as I served it. Delicious! Thanks.
Thank you for this easy and flavorful recipe. I liked it
Hi Fateme, I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
This recipe is amazing! I work in a city library and we sometimes make dishes for our patrons. I suggested this recipe and show the movie along with it. We cooked pasta in an instant pot to go with it. It was a hit. Thanks for sharing!
That’s awesome, Roberta! I am so glad you liked it. 🙂
Good recipe. I took advice from others who didn’t cook the eggplant ahead of the other veges and glad I did. Used diced tomatoes by Muir Glen because that’s what I had. My tomatoes aren’t quite ripe. I would prefer that ingredients are listed in the order in which they are used, because I am easily distracted, jumping from one item to another not in order. (Small complaint, I know, but I need it all as consecutive as may be done.) I also used more liquid but didn’t change anything else.
Thanks for your feedback, Sharon! 🙂
Then rewrite the recipe to fit your needs ☺️
This is a delicious recipe! On my way to see my three vegan sisters this summer and they will love this! My husband and I enjoyed these flavors and also added a side of Italian sausage and rice.
Thanks for your feedback, Jeanie. 🙂
Just made this for dinner and it was delicious! Substituted canned diced tomatoes with basil and oregano because didn’t have any fresh, and it still turned out great! Served over brown rice- Yum! Thanks for a fun way to try eggplant!
You are very welcome, Becky! I am glad it turned out delicious. 🙂
I was looking for eggplant recipes and I came across yours! This eggplant ratatouille is fresh, flavorful and filling! It makes me happy knowing it’s vegan as well. I subbed the tomato paste for ketchup, the red wine and combined 1/2 white wine and 1/2 vegetable broth as it’s what I had in my kitchen. As recommended, I cut everything but the onion and garlic into thick 1 inch pieces. I do recommend setting the eggplant/onion sauté aside on a plate after cooking and cooking the remaining vegetables separate. Then, add the eggplant/onion sauté back to the pan after about 5 minutes. I found the eggplant was starting to get soft, so I found myself pushing all the other veggies to the bottom of the pan. Just a few tweaks would make it a little easier. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone wanting a flavorful, easy and vegan friendly dinner to enjoy!
That’s wonderful, Rebecca! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for your thorough feedback. 🙂
This was flavorful. I just wish it was more clear when to add the zucchini. The eggplant was slightly mushy and the zucchini could have been cooked a little more. Not bad though for my first time cooking this dish
Hi Andrea, the zucchini is being added in step 4 (“add all other ingredients…”). The cooking time also depends on how large you chop the veggies.