Easy Ratatouille (One Pot Vegetable Stew)

This ratatouille recipe is my take on the traditional French vegetable stew. Though it’s much quicker than the original, it’s filled with the same sunny late-summer flavor!

Ratatouille recipes traditionally call for an all-day simmer. In this weeknight-friendly version, I boil the veggies to get them started, then gently simmer until they’re perfectly velvety. It’s ready in under an hour!

You only have to wash one pot! And, like its Spanish cousin Pisto and Italian Caponata, it’s even better the next day. Freeze a big batch to brighten your January with summer’s best flavors. Or enjoy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all week long.

Table of Contents

1. What is Ratatouille?
2. Ingredients and Substitutions
3. How to Make Ratatouille
4. Tips for this Ratatouille Recipe
5. How to Serve Ratatouille
6. More Vegetable Stew Recipes
7. Ratatouille (One Pot Vegetable Stew) Recipe

What is Ratatouille?

Ratatouille, pronounced “rat-uh-too-ee,” came long before the Disney movie! This vibrant vegetable stew has deep roots in the culinary traditions of Provence, a region in the south of France, where it can be traced back to the 18th century.

Once considered a peasant dish, ratatouille was created to use an abundance of vegetables grown in local gardens. Over time, ratatouille became a celebrated symbol of Provençal cuisine. It’s a great example of the Mediterranean diet’s celebration of fresh, seasonal vegetables.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The vegetable stew is best in the warmer months when eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini are at their most vibrant. Consider doubling and freezing if you have a large enough pot!

• Produce: Eggplant, yellow onion (swap white), bell peppers (green, red, yellow, or a combination), garlic, tomatoes, and zucchini. 
• Seasoning: Salt, pepper, sweet paprika, and dried rosemary bring an aromatic quality.
• Fresh herbs: Thyme and basil add freshness. Swap with parsley or dill.  
• Olive oil: Use a nice extra virgin olive oil with some personality, like our slightly peppery Spanish Hojiblanca.
• Acidity: Red wine and sherry vinegar add a depth of flavor, balancing the sweetness. The alcohol will cook off, but if you avoiding it substitute with vegetable broth or chicken stock. Season with more sherry vinegar to taste. 

How to Make Ratatouille

Like my winter vegetable stew, this easy ratatouille recipe builds flavor quickly and easily using just one pot. Keep an eye on the vegetables as they cook: you want them to be soft and delicate, but not mushy. 

• Salt the eggplant: Peel 1 pound of eggplant, removing the peel entirely or in a striped pattern for a more rustic look. Cut into 1-inch pieces and place in a large colander in your sink. When ready, sprinkle generously with salt and leave for 20 minutes as you prep the remaining ingredients. When the eggplant has sweat out its bitterness, pat dry with paper towels. 
• Prep the produce: Meanwhile, finely chop 1 yellow onion. Slice 2 bell peppers into 1-inch pieces. Mince 6 garlic cloves (see our how to mince garlic guide for tips). Chop 2 pounds of tomatoes, saving their juice as you go. Slice 2 zucchini into 1/2-inch half moons. 
• Cook the onion and peppers: In a large heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions. Cook, stirring regularly, until they’re translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the bell peppers and cook until softened, about 4 minutes more.
• Add the remaining veggies: Add the garlic, tomatoes and their juice, zucchini, and eggplant. Stir in 1/2 cup of red wine and 2 sprigs of thyme. Season with a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon each of black pepper, paprika, and dried rosemary.
• Boil then simmer: Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Turn the heat to low, then cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Season: Remove the ratatouille from the heat, taste, and adjust salt to your liking. Add the sherry vinegar and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Top with fresh basil.
• Serve: If you have time, cover and allow the ratatouille to rest in its warm pot for 1 hour or so before serving. When you’re ready to serve, ladle into bowls. Optionally, top each with a sunny side up egg and pass around some crusty French bread for dipping. Enjoy warm, at room temperature, cold, any which way! 

Tips for this Ratatouille Recipe

Cooking ratatouille in one pot is simple, easy, and totally feasible on a given weeknight. Three important things to keep in mind before you get started:

• How to chop the vegetables? Some recipes call for small-dice, while others call for rustic large pieces. It’s a matter of personal preference. I like 1-ish inch pieces, which get nice and velvety without becoming mush. The key is to make the vegetables all about the same size so they cook at the same rate. 
• Salt the eggplant. The salt helps eggplant sweat out bitterness, break down its spongy texture, and cook more quickly.
• For the best flavor, rest in the warm pot for 1 hour before serving. This will allow the flavors to settle and deepen beautifully. You do not need to heat before serving, ratatouille is great just warm.

How to Serve Ratatouille

There is a small French bakery near me called Douceur de France. Without fail, every time we visit, I order their ratatouille. They serve it just warm in a bowl, topped with a perfectly runny fried egg and a piece of crusty French baguette or a beautiful fougasse on the side. If I’m serving ratatouille as the main course, which I often do, this is exactly how I serve it. 

Though ratatouille needs no further embellishment, it’s also a classic side dish that goes well with simple roast meats, like lamb or chicken. For a dinner party, kick things off with another French classic: the Niçoise Salad.

More Vegetable Stew Recipes

Soups and Stews

Pisto (Spanish Vegetable Stew)

Soups and Stews

Hearty Vegetable Stew

Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Homemade Vegetable Soup

Soups and Stews

Easy Minestrone Soup

Browse all Mediterranean recipes.

Visit Our Shop.

*This post has recently been updated with new information for the readers’ benefit.