Guests coming over? Serve this eggless French ratatouille
Originating from the Provence region of France, ratatouille is a traditional vegetable stew that celebrates the fresh produce of summer. This dish has been savored for centuries and is known for its vibrant colors and rich flavors. It gained worldwide fame through the animated film that shares its name. Now, let's get cooking with this vegetarian and eggless version.
Gather the following ingredients
To make this traditional ratatouille, you will need one large zucchini, one yellow squash, and one small eggplant. Also required are two bell peppers (one red and one yellow), three tomatoes, two onions, and four garlic cloves. For seasoning, prepare fresh basil leaves, a teaspoon of dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Lastly, measure out three tablespoons of olive oil for cooking.
Prepare your vegetables
Start by thoroughly washing all the vegetables. Proceed to slice the zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant into round pieces, aiming for a thickness of about one-quarter inch. Take the bell peppers, remove their cores and seeds, and then cut them into strips. The tomatoes should be diced. Lastly, finely chop both the onions and garlic cloves to ensure flavors meld well during cooking.
Saute onions and garlic
In a large pot or deep pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium. Add the onions, cooking until they turn translucent. This should roughly take five minutes. Then, mix in the garlic and saute for a minute until it releases its fragrance. This foundational saute will contribute a deep flavor to the ratatouille, setting the stage for the other ingredients to meld harmoniously.
Simmer vegetables
Introduce bell peppers to the sauteed onions and garlic, cooking until they start to soften. Add the zucchini and yellow squash slices, followed by the tomatoes. Season with a teaspoon of dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir gently to mix the vegetables and spices without breaking them, ensuring an even distribution of flavors throughout the dish.
Cook to perfection
Cover your pot or pan with a lid after reducing heat to low, allowing vegetables to simmer for about 20 minutes or until they are tender but not mushy. Stir occasionally with care. Once cooked through remove from heat; tear fresh basil leaves over top before serving warm as a delightful main course or side dish.
