Homemade ratatouille

The great Provençal classic, slow-cooked and full of sunshine: aubergine, courgette, pepper and tomato melt gently together with olive oil and herbs. Low in calories and rich in fibre and antioxidants, ratatouille is a healthy dish by nature, enjoyed hot or cold, as a main dish or a side. Inexpensive and 100% plant-based.

Preparation: 20 min  |  Cooking: 40 min  |  Servings: 4  |  Difficulty: Easy

Calculated per serving from the Anses Ciqual 2025 values for each ingredient, based on the quantities in the list. Household measures (spoonfuls, pieces) use average weights. 179 kcal · 3 g protein · 13 g carbohydrate · 12 g fat

Ingredients

• 1 aubergine
• 2 courgettes
• 2 peppers
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• herbes de Provence

Method

1. Cut all the vegetables into even dice.
2. Soften the onion and garlic in the olive oil, then add the peppers and aubergine. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add the courgettes, then the tomatoes and the herbes de Provence. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes over a low heat, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables are meltingly soft.

Nutritional benefits

Ratatouille is one of the healthiest dishes in the Mediterranean repertoire: made almost entirely of vegetables, it is very low in calories but rich in filling fibre, which makes it an ally for weight loss and a low-GI dish. Its colourful vegetables concentrate antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties (lycopene from the tomato, polyphenols from the pepper and aubergine), and the olive oil provides monounsaturated fatty acids that are good for the heart. Naturally plant-based, gluten-free and lactose-free.

Variations and substitutions

• Complete meal: serve with a poached egg, quinoa or chickpeas.
• Muscle gain: serve with rice and a source of protein.
• Baked: roast the vegetables as a tian for a prettier version.
• Quick: use tinned chopped tomatoes.

Storage and making ahead

Ratatouille improves with time: it is often better reheated the next day. It keeps for 4 days in the fridge and freezes perfectly, which makes it an excellent batch-cooking dish to vary all week.

💡 Good to know

For a ratatouille in which each vegetable keeps its own flavour, cook them separately before combining them: it takes longer but the result is incomparable. Delicious cold too, as a starter.

Read also

Discover more vegetarian recipes · vegan recipes · weight-loss recipes · low GI recipes · anti-inflammatory recipes · gluten-free recipes · lactose-free recipes.

The foods in this recipe: aubergine · courgettes · peppers · tomatoes · onion.

You will also like these recipes: Pumpkin soup · Butternut squash soup · Homemade hummus.