Maryline Damour’s Ratatouille

Sep 22, 2020

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Course
Entree

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 3 to 4 tbsp olive oil
  • A handful of fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dry thyme)
  • Salt & red pepper flakes
  • 2 medium zucchinis, cubed
  • 1 red pepper, chopped (mild or hot, based on your preference)
  • 1 medium eggplant, cubed
  • 3 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or a quart of cherry tomatoes)
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)
  • 1 tsp low-sodium tamari sauce (optional)
  • ⅓ cup vegetable stock or water
  • Optional garnish: fresh basil leaves and balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot, sauté the diced onion in the olive oil for a few minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic, thyme leaves, a couple pinches of salt, and red pepper flakes to your taste. Cook for another couple of minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the onions are translucent.
  2. Add the chopped zucchini and cook for around 3 minutes. Add with the chopped pepper, cooking for around 3 minutes. Then follow with the chopped eggplant and chopped tomatoes, cooking 3 minutes between each addition and adding a little salt to ensure each new vegetable is well-seasoned.
  3. Once all the vegetables are simmering in the pot, add a bit of the vegetable stock and tomato sauce if using. Add just enough to create a bit of sauce around the vegetables. Ratatouille is a stew, it should not be a dry dish.
  4. Taste the ratatouille and add more salt and red peppers flakes if needed. To add some earthy umami flavor, add a few splashes of low-sodium tamari if you wish. Add a bit more water or vegetable stock as needed.
  5. The ratatouille is ready when the vegetables are cooked through but still hold their shape. As an optional garnish, stir in a few splashes of good, aged balsamic vinegar and fresh torn basil leaves right before serving.

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