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Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Vegan

Ratatouille

Updated: Jul 17, 2023 · Published: Mar 4, 2016 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 59 Comments

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Diet: Gluten Free / Vegan
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A bowl of ratatouille with a text title overlay.

If you are looking for a veggie packed meal, with lots of uses, then give this Easy Ratatouille recipe a try. A classic French dish that is bursting with flavour, it's a simple one pot vegetarian dinner that is great for feeding a crowd, or freezing leftovers.

A bowl of ratatouille next to a pan of more ratatouille and some vegetables.

This ratatouille recipe is healthy comfort food at its finest. Chunky vegetables in a rich tomato sauce, with plenty of herbs. Serve it with chunks of crusty French bread or on top of pasta or rice. This is a nutrient dense meal, with plenty of flavour. Keep it vegan, or add cheese on top.

Traditionally, ratatouille is cooked on a low heat for a long time, however this is our quicker and easier weeknight version.

If you are looking for more veggie packed recipes, then why not try our Vegetable Pasta Bake, Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry or Creamy Vegetable Soup?

Jump to:
  • Ingredients needed
  • How to make ratatouille - Step by step
  • What is ratatouille?
  • Variations
  • Serving suggestions
  • FAQs
  • Extra tips
  • More vegan recipes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

Ingredients needed

  • Bell peppers - We used red and yellow, for a nice pop of bright colour and because they are sweet. However, green and orange will work in this ratatouille too.
  • Aubergine (eggplant) - Look for aubergines with smooth, shiny skin that are uniform in colour and heavy for their size.
  • Onion - We used red onion in this recipe, however brown onion or even shallots will work.
  • Courgette (zucchini) - Look for a vibrant and rich colour courgette. Don't choose one that is too big, as they tend to be watery and flavourless.
  • Carrot - We find this is a cheap way to bulk the dish out. They do still have a bit of crunch to them, as they don't cook as quickly as the other vegetables.
  • Fresh tomatoes - Although tinned tomatoes make up most of the tomatoes in this dish, we like to add some fresh for some extra flavour and texture.
  • Tinned tomatoes - Try to use the best quality tomatoes you can, as you really will be able to taste the difference. Cheap tinned tomatoes tend to be really water.
  • Lemon - This adds lots of freshness to the dish.
  • Basil and oregano - An easy way to add lots of flavour. You could use dried oregano too.
  • Garlic - Fresh is always best, however you can use a teaspoon of lazy chopped garlic from a jar if you prefer.

How to make ratatouille - Step by step

One: Heat the oil in a pan and add all the vegetables and gently cook for 5 minutes.

A frying pan with various chopped vegetables cooking in it.

Two: Add the rest of the ingredients and put a lid on the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.

Chopped vegetables, plum tomatoes, chopped herbs and crushed garlic all cooking in a frying pan.

What is ratatouille?

Ratatouille is a traditional dish from Provence, France. It’s a delicious stew of vegetables like courgette, aubergine, tomatoes, and peppers. There are lots of ways to adapt it, but those are the vegetables that you would traditionally find in it.

The sauce is made of canned tomatoes, a little lemon juice and plenty of garlic and herbs. You want to make sure that you use a really good quality can of tomatoes, as you will honestly taste the difference. Cheaper cans can be really watery. You could use fresh tomatoes and grate them or finely chop them.

Traditionally, all of the vegetables would be cooked individually in olive oil (so that they are all cooked properly) and then combined together and simmered in the sauce. However, we love that this ratatouille recipe can all be done in one pot. You could also roast all the vegetables and then finish them in the sauce.

Variations

There really is no rule when it comes to making ratatouille, apart from that it should have a tomato base, so that means that whatever vegetables you have, put them in and it will taste great. It is also all cooked in one pot, so throw everything in, season it, put a lid on it and simmer it until it is ready.

A green bowl full of chopped vegetables.

Serving suggestions

We had ours with just some crusty French bread, but it also goes really well with some pasta and topped with feta. Why not our Homemade Flatbread or Rosemary and Garlic Focaccia to scoop up all that sauce.

But there is leftovers and that will be going on an Air Fryer Baked Potato tomorrow. It would be good on rice too. Just put it on everything - it has so many uses!

A dish of ratatouille containing peppers, eggplant, onion, zucchini, carrot and tomatoes.

FAQs

How to store ratatouille

Cool to room temperature, and then divide among shallow, airtight containers. You can keep it this way in the fridge for up to a week or it will be good in the freezer for up to three months.

How to reheat ratatouille

To reheat the ratatouille, make sure that it has fully defrosted and then heat through in a pan. If the vegetables have gone a little mushy from being frozen, you could always blend everything up and use it as a pasta sauce with a splash of balsamic and a generous amount of shaved Parmesan.

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Extra tips

• Add some protein by serving a runny poached egg on top.
• You can use any vegetables you have, but chunky ones work best.
• This is delicious served with crusty French bread. However leftovers are also good on pasta, rice or a baked potato.
• If you want to have a caramelised flavour to the vegetables, then roast them all together, and then finish them off in the sauce on the hob (stove top).
• Serve with a generous amount of olive oil drizzled on top.
• Make sure all the vegetables are chopped to the same size to ensure that they cook evenly. Some people like small pieces of vegetables and others like chunkier veg, so that's up to you.

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If you’ve tried this easy ratatouille recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

Vegetable ratatouille in a green bowl.

Ratatouille

By: Dannii Martin
We are making sure that vegetables are the star of the show in some of our meals. Vegetables are definitely the star of the show in ratatouille.
A circular logo saying GF.
Gluten Free
An illustration of a v-shaped plant in a pot.
Vegan
4.98 from 35 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: French
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 20 minutes mins
Total: 25 minutes mins
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 241kcal
Allergens:
No Common Allergens

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 0.5 Yellow bell pepper - diced
  • 0.5 Red bell pepper - diced
  • 1 Aubergine (eggplant) - small; diced
  • 1 Red onion - cut in the eights
  • 1 Courgette (zucchini) - diced
  • 2 Tomatoes - quartered
  • 1 Carrot - peeled and diced
  • 400 g (14 oz) Plum tomatoes - canned
  • 0.5 Lemon - (juice only)
  • 4 tablespoon Fresh basil - chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Dried oregano
  • 2 Garlic clove - crushed
  • 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a pan and add all the vegetables and gently cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and put a lid on the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.

Recipe Tips

  • Add some protein by serving a runny poached egg on top.
  • You can use any vegetables you have, but chunky ones work best.
  • This is delicious served with crusty French bread. However leftovers are also good on pasta, rice or a baked potato.
  • If you want to have a caramelised flavour to the vegetables, then roast them all together, and then finish them off in the sauce on the hob (stove top).
  • Serve with a generous amount of olive oil drizzled on top.
  • Make sure all the vegetables are chopped to the same size to ensure that they cook evenly. Some people like small pieces of vegetables and others like chunkier veg, so that's up to you.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 1955mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 9733IU | Vitamin C: 183mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 4mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

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Comments

  1. Deanna says

    March 09, 2016 at 7:42 pm

    5 stars
    This looks SO delicious, it would be so good to make the night before and take to work for my lunch! At 137 calories you can't go wrong at all!!!

    Reply
    • Deb says

      February 13, 2021 at 11:09 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent. Roasted the veggies at 400 for 30 minutes, then finished on stovetop. Added a ton of lovely flavor.

      Reply
  2. Ashley says

    March 08, 2016 at 10:08 pm

    5 stars
    It's been sooo long since I've made ratatouille! I'm on an eggplant kick at the moment - I need to make some!

    Reply
  3. Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog says

    March 08, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    5 stars
    One pot meals are the best, less dishes to wash! My sister in law just started weight watchers so i'll have to send this to her (in fact I just need to send her to your blog for amazing recipes :) )

    Reply
  4. Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says

    March 08, 2016 at 4:58 pm

    This one pot ratatouille is a wonder! I'm in love with a big bowl of vegetables so I can't wait to give this recipe a taste. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Nadia says

    March 08, 2016 at 12:06 pm

    5 stars
    So easy and packed full of veggies! I saw canned ratatouille yesterday when I was out food shopping :O SERIOUSLY?!

    Reply
  6. Daniella says

    March 08, 2016 at 8:50 am

    This looks so delicious. I adore ratatouille but I'm the only one in my home who likes it so I don't make it often, I love to serve it with grilled halloumi and polenta chips.

    Reply
  7. Camilla says

    March 07, 2016 at 10:07 pm

    5 stars
    Fabulous Dannii:-) We love ratatouille in our house and in particular my daughter who I think would live off it if she could! The best thing about it I find is eating it the following day as all the flavours really intensify then:-)

    Reply
  8. marcie says

    March 07, 2016 at 9:09 pm

    Ratatouille is one of my favorite dishes -- I love all the veggies! This looks just delicious Dannii and I'm dying for some!

    Reply
  9. karrie @ Tasty Ever After says

    March 07, 2016 at 8:40 pm

    5 stars
    Can't wait until summer is here, when all the veggies are at their best. Love your ratatouille recipe and pinned it so I can make it this weekend. I totally agree too that you can literally eat this over and with everything (or by itself!). Yummy ;)

    Reply
  10. Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says

    March 07, 2016 at 6:39 pm

    5 stars
    French or Italian sound good to me! This looks like a perfect use of a box full of veggies! You can't go wrong with a one pot wonder either!

    Reply
  11. Mir says

    March 07, 2016 at 3:08 pm

    5 stars
    I really love ratatouille, and not just because the movie was adorable. It's the best way to use veggies! Yours looks so flavorful and perfect!

    Reply
  12. Megan - The Emotional Baker says

    March 07, 2016 at 12:26 pm

    5 stars
    I've never made ratatouille, but I love cooking with lots of veggies! Hope to try this soon :)

    Reply
  13. Sally Akins says

    March 07, 2016 at 11:26 am

    I love ratatouille but some people cut it too finely and it all turns into mush. Yours looks fab, really delicious!

    Reply
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