Our easy ratatouille recipe uses diced tomatoes and a delicious tomato sauce. This dish is perfect for the vegetables from your prolific summer garden. Do you know what "ratatouille" means? According to one source, this vegetable stew likely originates from Provence and has become most popular in Nice. Dating back to 18th century, it means "stir up." Ratatouille usually consists of various vegetables, such as eggplant, onion, zucchini, pepper, tomatoes and garlic, cut in bite sizes. Some chefs cook all ingredients together, while others separately sauté each vegetable. A similar dish exists in other countries in Southern Europe and Mediterranean. Thus, for example, a close relative of ratatouille in Moldova (where we were born) is a "ghiveci," often made with cauliflower. Our easy ratatouille recipe can be used for making a side dish or main dish with grains or, better yet, with grain-free, flourless Simple Mills crackers.
In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, warm up the olive oil on medium heat.
Next, reduce heat to low. Now add onion, bay leaf, and grains of paradise and sauté, covered, for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the onion becomes lightly golden.
Add eggplant and garlic and continue cooking, covered, until eggplant softens, about 10 minutes. Stir periodically.
Next, add zucchini and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. To avoid burning, stir periodically.
Now add organic, preservative-free diced tomatoes and preservative-free tomato sauce, and bell peppers. Stir well. Increase heat to medium high and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and, with the lid ajar, continue cooking for 40 to 45 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes. If you are wondering about the long cooking time, note that it helps the tomatoes to caramelize and enrich other vegetables with their sweetness.
And this is the end of the easy Ratatouille recipe. Serve the dish warm or chilled. If serving as a main, we highly recommend Simple Mills crackers on the side.
Servings 0