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Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Vegan

Ratatouille

Jul 17, 2023 · 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. Alison says

    March 07, 2016 at 11:16 am

    5 stars
    This is one of my favourite things, it is so addictive. It also freezes brilliantly so I made a big batch. It's so easy to make as well

    Reply
  2. Kelly says

    March 07, 2016 at 1:51 am

    That is such a gorgeous bowl of veggie goodness! I love ratatouille and wish I had this for dinner tonight! It looks delicious!

    Reply
  3. Renna says

    March 06, 2016 at 7:30 pm

    5 stars
    You are so right. Ratatouille can be used on and in so many other recipes.

    Reply
  4. Sarah says

    March 06, 2016 at 6:41 pm

    Ohhh yum! This sounds yummy! I love your recipes. I'm going to pin this on pinterest :) xx

    Reply
  5. Natasha Mairs says

    March 06, 2016 at 5:48 pm

    I haven't ate ratatouille in ages!! Looks so good, might have to make some next week x

    Reply
  6. Helen @ Scrummy Lane says

    March 06, 2016 at 12:17 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for reminding me of this, Dannii! I used to make it all the time when I was a student, but haven't for years.

    Love your idea of sprinkling feta on top. That would be just perfect!

    Reply
  7. Emma @ From Aldi To Harrods says

    March 06, 2016 at 11:53 am

    5 stars
    This looks delicious! We are also on a mission to eat more vegetables, which is tough when my husband doesn't like them. I think this meal is perfect for getting more veg into our diet!

    Reply
  8. Kerry @ Kerry Cooks says

    March 06, 2016 at 11:42 am

    5 stars
    This looks so gorgeous lady! I must give it a go -great way to get your five a day in one meal!

    Reply
  9. Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says

    March 06, 2016 at 8:48 am

    I love ratatouille :) Yours looks great.

    Reply
  10. Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says

    March 06, 2016 at 3:00 am

    I have always wanted to try ratatouille. This looks so delicious and healthy!

    Reply
  11. Fashion and Style Police says

    March 05, 2016 at 10:53 pm

    This is so nutritious. Thank for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
  12. Mandi says

    March 05, 2016 at 9:08 pm

    5 stars
    This looks like the perfect meal for when I am at work all day and want something quite quick but healthy for all the children, will definitely be giving this a go.

    Reply
  13. Cailee says

    March 05, 2016 at 5:07 pm

    One pot wonder for sure!! This looks amazing!! I love all these veggies! SO good!! Hope that you're having a great weekend Dannii!
    xoxo Cailee!!

    Reply
  14. Angela at Daysinbed says

    March 05, 2016 at 4:32 pm

    ooh what a lovely recipe and so so healthy too. I may have to test this out in the coming days! Thanks. Angela

    Reply
  15. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

    March 05, 2016 at 3:25 pm

    5 stars
    I totally love cirio and I can image how the flavour really shines through this dish.

    Reply
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My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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