Ingredients:
- 1 medium sized onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium or large eggplant, diced
- 1 can stewed tomatoes
- 2 medium zucchini diced into large chunks
- add herbs as desired (try basil)
- olive oil (enough to sauté onion/garlic)
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Sauté the onion and garlic until tender
- Add eggplant and tomatoes, bring to simmer
- Simmer, covered for 15 minutes
- Add zucchini
- Simmer for 10-15 more minutes until vegetables are suitably soft
- Remove from heat
- Stir in the herbs, season to taste
Serve over:
- Rice
- Egg noodles
- Pasta
- Boiled, cubed potatoes
What is ratatouille?
Ratatouille (literally stirred chunky stew in French) is a great year-round dish. During the summer months, when fresh vegetables are abundant, it makes for a light, easy dinner. In the winter months, it can be transformed into classic comfort fare.
Think of it as more "French concept" than "stew" - and let your imagination run wild. Ratatouille responds well to interpretation and experimentation.
Suggested variations
Just with any recipe, ratatouille is open to interpretations. Great additions include diced chicken, sauteed firm tofu, seitan and more seasonal vegetables. The dish may be topped with grated cheese at the time of serving.
The dish when prepared following the recipe included here, is a vegan dish, meaning that it contains no animal products. This could be a great dish to serve at a dinner party where a mixture of omnivores and vegans are present. This article contains more tips on hosting such a dinner party.
Ratatouille as prepared here is also relatively low-fat. The only fat comes from the olive oil. Omitting the olive oil creates a fat free dish.
This dish is also fairly low-sodium. Since the dish features delicious, fresh vegetables, cutting own on salt can be easy. The only thing to watch out for is the canned tomatoes. Make sure that you are using tomatoes that do not have added sodium, or simply use fresh tomatoes.
Good luck, and enjoy!
E. Casey Lunny - Learning has always been at the center of my activities. I enjoy being challenged by new ideas. I have been a vegetarian for nearly 15 ...
