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:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Ratatouille?
• Related Recipes
• Top Tip From the Chef
• 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.

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 healthy and easy recipe is a great way to turn "not so popular vegetables" into an exciting dish.

• It is a very easy recipe to follow with step-by-step instructions.

• You can store the leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months.

• You can use the leftovers 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.

• Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavouring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. Peel and finely chop them before using them.

• Tomato paste - It adds an umami flavour to the dish as well as a bright red colour.

• 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.

• Cook the vegetables separately - 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 of 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 saute 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, saute the peppers for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly cooked. Transfer on a plate along with the aubergines and courgettes, set aside.

• Prepare the tomato and onion based sauce - For the tomato sauce, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Saute 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.

• Combine the vegetables with 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.

Related Recipes

For other delicious French recipes why not try:

• Potato Boulangere

• Moules Mariniere (Mussels Marinara)

• French Strawberry Tart

• Chicken Liver Pâté

• Beef Bourguignon

• Dark Chocolate Mousse

• Tartar Sauce with Capers

• Strawberry Mille Feuille

Top Tip 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 thoroughly before cooking.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this classic French vegetable stew as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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