Ratatouille is a great vegetable dish that you can make ahead of time and freeze to prepare a quick meal if you need to. However, it is also fancy enough to prepare for company. You can use it as a vegan main course atop brown rice or pasta or as a side dish to roasted chicken, grilled swordfish or baked white fish. I also always make sure I have a loaf of crusty bread to eat with it.
What do you need?
Yield: 2 to 4, 2 cup main-dish servings or 4 to 6, 2/3 cup side-dish servings
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (27-ounce) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (27-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 large eggplant, stemmed, peeled, and cubed
- 1 large zucchini, stemmed, peeled, and cubed
- 1 red onion, trimmed, peeled, and diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 5–8 sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, stemmed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
What do you do?
- In a medium to large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, onion, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Season with the salt and black pepper and stir until well combined.
- Reduce the heat to low-medium, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables have fully softened (there will be some liquid in the bottom of the saucepan, which is fine). Remove from the heat.
- Serve hot with the crusty bread as a side with Roasted Chicken or over the brown rice or pasta.
Are you interested in healthy eating?
Click this link for more articles by Kimberley Maloomian on healthy nutrition.
Besides being an avid amateur equestrian, Kimberly Maloomian is a registered top dietitian. She has been the lead dietitian at The Miriam Hospital in RI and she runs her private consulting firm Kimba’s Kitchen offering medical nutrition therapy, weight management strategies, and wellness services for individuals or companies nationwide.
Kimberly: “In my late teens and early 20s I was a groom, on the road, failing at keeping myself healthy. Much of the reason I became a dietitian was to learn how to properly care for myself, and it has evolved into a passion for helping others learn to do the same. I identify with all the grooms out there and while the industry and world are always evolving, one thing remains constant. What we put into our bodies leads to our success in everything we do, and mentoring people to be the best versions of themselves is the ultimate honor.”
