Ratatouille Nicoise

Ratatouille Nicoise is a simple classic French vegetable stew traditionally made with late summer, well-ripened vegetables. It is a wholesome side dish to serve with grilled chicken or meat, especially lamb. You can serve it as a vegetarian or vegan main course over plain rice, couscous, or simply mixed with pasta.

Jump to:

• What is Ratatouille Made Of?
• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Ratatouille?
• Top Tips From the Chef
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Ratatouille Niçoise

Aubergine, courgette, peppers, garlic, onions, and tomatoes are the commonly used vegetables for authentic French ratatouille Nicoise although the list of the ingredients and cooking techniques may vary from recipe to recipe.

What is Ratatouille Made Of?

Ratatouille is a French / Mediterranean vegetable stew traditionally made with late summer ripen vegetables such as eggplants (aubergines), tomatoes, zucchinis (courgettes), peppers, onions, and garlic.

This vegan and gluten-free Ratatouille dish is usually flavored with tomato paste, thyme, basil, and freshly ground pepper. Same as Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze), it is often considered a side dish. However, I love serving it ladled over Bulgur Pilavi (Turkish Bulgur Pilaf).

Why This Recipe Works?

• You can make this healthy vegan dish ahead and serve at room temperature or slightly warm it up over gentle heat.

• This Ratatouille recipe is a great way to turn "not-so-popular vegetables" into an exciting dish.

• You can store the leftovers for up to 5 days refrigerated or for up to 3 months in the freezer.

• The leftovers are great as a topping for pizza or pasta.

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Olive oil - Use a few spoons of olive oil just enough to saute the vegetables. Aubergines absorb lots of oil so be careful while sautéing them and don't add too much oil. Use a few drops of water to help with cooking the aubergines.

• Aubergines - Pick slightly firm but not hard aubergines when buying them. They take longer to cook than other vegetables. Don't rush and undercook it and use a splash of water for helping the cooking process.

• Courgettes - You can use any type of courgettes as long they are fresh and firm.

• Peppers - Use your favourite fresh peppers of all different colours.

• Red onion - They have a sharper taste than normal onions. They also add some purple color to this colourful vegetable stew.

• Tomatoes - Use red & juicy summer tomatoes if you can or use tinned tomatoes during the winter season.

• Thyme - It is one of the most popular herbs to use in Mediterranean cooking. You can use rosemary or oregano instead.

How to Make Ratatouille?

Making this traditional Mediterranean vegetable stew is fairly easy. To achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

Prepare Your Vegetables

First, cut the vegetables into squares size of 2 cm, not too big, not too small. We want them to melt, but also to be able to recognize each vegetable in the final dish.

Sauté the Vegetables

Sauté each vegetable separately with olive oil before adding in a tomato and onion-based sauce. Cooking the vegetables separately ensures that each will taste exactly itself. Heat a large wok or pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the aubergines to the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and starting to brown.

Remove on a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan, add the courgettes and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until soft. Transfer on a plate along with the aubergines and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan, and sauté the peppers for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly cooked. Transfer on a plate along with the aubergines and courgettes, and set aside.

Prepare the Tomato Sauce

For the tomato sauce, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Sauté the onions, garlic, and thyme together for 5 minutes until soft.

Stir in the tomato paste then add the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. If using juicy and nicely ripen tomatoes, you don't need to use tomato paste for this recipe.

Cook the Vegetables in Tomato Sauce

Add the aubergines, courgettes, and peppers into the pan and mix with the tomato sauce. Gently simmer for 30 minutes or until it has a smooth and creamy consistency.

Reduce the cooking time if you want your vegetables crunchy. Check the seasoning, add more salt if necessary, and garnish with chopped parsley or basil before serving.

Top Tips From the Chef

• Some aubergines can have a bitter taste. To avoid that, peel and cut your aubergines into the desired size and then leave them in salty water for half an hour, drain the water, and then dry them thoroughly before cooking.

• Let the Ratatouille rest for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to settle and deepen beautifully. Don't worry about heating it up before serving, ratatouille is also great when served warm.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For other delicious classic French recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this healthy and delicious French Ratatouille dish as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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