Easy Vegan Ratatouille

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Updated on 01/4/23
Easy vegan ratatouille recipe

The Spruce

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 to 5 servings

Ratatouille, a French eggplant and vegetable dish, is usually made vegetarian but is often served with meat. Why not make this easy vegetarian and vegan version and serve it with rice or pasta instead? You also could serve it over quinoa or any other of your favorite whole grains. If you haven't already, give kaniwa a try.

You'll also notice that this ratatouille recipe doesn't call for any salt, but if you're used to eating salted or saltier foods, you might find that you miss it and want to add it back in. Taste the finished dish first, and then just add a little bit if you find that it's needed since all the other herbs add a great flavor without any salt at all. For best results, always use good-quality sea salt or kosher salt—the extra expense is minimal and the return in flavor is worth it.

Ratatouille makes for a great vegetarian or vegan dinner entrée, no matter how you serve it up. For another serving idea, layer your vegan ratatouille on lightly toasted French bread for a vegetarian ratatouille sandwich. Try it over any of the gluten-free grains for a gluten-free vegan dinner. 

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 large onion, diced

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 4 tablespoons dry red wine

  • 1/2 cup tomato juice

  • 4 to 5 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 tablespoon dried basil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

  • 1 dash ground rosemary

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced

  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped

  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped

  • 1 eggplant, cut into small cubes

  • 2 large tomatoes, cut into eighths

  • 5 tablespoons tomato paste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for vegan ratatouille
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  2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.

    Heat the olive oil
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  3. Add the bay leaf, red wine, and tomato juice and stir to combine well.

    Add the bay leaf
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  4. Then add the garlic, basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper and mix until well blended. Cover the saucepan and allow to simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.

    Add spices
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  5. Add the zucchini and the green and red bell peppers, stir well, cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes.

    Add the green vegetables
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  6. Add the eggplant, tomatoes, and tomato paste and stir again to combine everything together well. Cover the pan and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 8 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Add the tomato and tomato paste
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  7. Once the veggies are tender and cooked, remove the pan from the heat immediately to make sure the vegetables don't overcook and become soggy. Serve your vegan ratatouille over rice or pasta with French bread.

This vegetarian and vegan ratatouille recipe is reprinted with permission from "The Compassionate Cook Cookbook."

There Is No Right or Wrong When It Comes to Ratatouille

Like many other traditional cultural dishes, there are as many variations on this dish as there are chefs in France, which means that there's really no right or wrong way to make your vegetable ratatouille. Most ratatouille recipes call for the ingredients to be sautéed stovetop first before being baked in the oven, but this basic and easy vegan version skips the oven baking step in order to keep the preparation as simple as possible for everyday weeknight meals.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
184 Calories
4g Fat
36g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 5
Amount per serving
Calories 184
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 293mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 9g 34%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 97mg 485%
Calcium 83mg 6%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 960mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)