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Rustic French Ratatouille Recipe

Humble garden vegetables transform into something genuinely craveable as slow-cooked eggplant becomes silky, peppers turn sweet, and everything mingles beautifully with garlic and basil. This rustic, layered Mediterranean dish tastes like it simmered for hours yet is surprisingly straightforward, working equally well hot, cold, or at room temperature.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Calories: 180
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large eggplant peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • Salt
  • 2 medium onions chopped
  • 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes about 3 medium
  • 1 large green bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch squares
  • 1 large red bell pepper or 1 large yellow bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch squares
  • 3 medium zucchini sliced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons dried basil
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed through a press
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 5 1/2 ounce can pitted ripe olives, drained and chopped coarsely
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Method
 

  1. Begin by preparing the eggplant, which is the foundation of this dish. Peel 1 large eggplant and cut it into 1 inch cubes, then sprinkle generously with salt. Let the eggplant stand in a colander for 30 minutes to 1 hour to drain out excess moisture—this step is key for preventing a watery final dish.
  2. Once drained, press out any remaining moisture, rinse the eggplant with water, and pat it dry thoroughly with paper towels. Transfer the prepared eggplant to your crock pot as the base for building your ratatouille.
  3. Add the remaining fresh vegetables to the crock pot along with the eggplant: 2 medium chopped onions, 2 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes, 1 large green bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch squares, 1 large red or yellow bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch squares, and 3 medium sliced zucchini.
  4. Pour in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and add 3 tablespoons of dried basil, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix all ingredients well to guarantee even distribution of seasonings and oil throughout the vegetables.
  5. Cover the crock pot and cook on the high setting for approximately 3 hours, or until all the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape.
  6. Once the vegetables reach the desired tenderness, stir in 1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste, 1 (5 1/2 ounce) can of drained and coarsely chopped pitted ripe olives, and 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped basil.
  7. The fresh basil added at the end provides a bright, aromatic finish to the slow-cooked vegetables. Serve your ratatouille hot, at room temperature, or chilled, depending on your preference and the season.

Notes

Ratatouille Substitutions and Variations

Since ratatouille’s beauty lies in its flexibility, you can swap out pretty much any vegetable without ruining the dish. Don’t have red peppers? Yellow ones work fine.
Prefer mushrooms over olives? Go for it. I’d suggest keeping the eggplant and tomatoes as your anchors—they’re what give ratatouille its soul. Squash varieties are interchangeable, and honestly, you can toss in whatever’s sitting in your crisper drawer.
The dried basil’s negotiable too; oregano or thyme make solid substitutes if that’s what you’ve got. The real magic? Letting those vegetables mingle together in your slow cooker.