Easy Ratatouille

This Easy Ratatouille recipe is a fast and flavorful French side dish that happens to be vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and Whole30-friendly for a crowd-pleasing big-batch recipe. See below how to make it on the stove, in the oven, or in the Instant Pot!

This recipe comes to us from Mihaela Metaxa Albu of Blondelish.

For a video showing how to make this recipe, click here.

For more recipes with eggplant, click here.

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Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4-6 tbsp. olive oil – divided or as needed
• 2 medium eggplants, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
• 2 red or/and yellow bell peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 red onions, diced into 1-inch pieces
• 3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 1 can (14oz/400g ) plum tomatoes with juices
• 1 tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 pint (280g ) cherry tomatoes
• ½ bunch (15g) fresh basil – + extra to garnish
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Heat half of the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add in the eggplant and fry until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside in a large bowl.

2. Add the remaining oil to the preheated skillet and fry the zucchini. Don’t cook them all the way through, just until golden and slightly softened. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside to the same bowl with the eggplant.

3. To the same skillet add the bell peppers, onion and garlic; sauté for about 5 minutes. Add in the plum tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Reduce the heat to a medium-low, bring to a simmer and break the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Allow the sauce to simmer until it starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Stir in the fried veggies, cherry tomatoes, basil and thyme.

5. Partially cover the pan and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sauce is thick and veggies are tender. Alternatively, you can bake it uncovered in the preheated oven at 350°F or 180°C for 30-35 minutes.
Garnish with fresh basil and serve with warm crusty bread, if desired.