Best Slow Cooker Ratatouille Recipe For This Fall (2024)

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by Mihaela

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How to make the best Ratatouille recipe this fall? In a slow cooker, of course.

Looking for a healthy and delicious autumn recipe? How about some good old Ratatouille?

But there are so many versions today that it’s hard to know which one is the best ratatouille recipe, isn’t it?

Well, I always found it more interesting to mix the classic and the modern when it comes to cooking. That’s why I took a traditional ratatouille recipe and cooked it in a slow cooker (a.k.a Crock Pot).

Best Slow Cooker Ratatouille Recipe For This Fall (1)Making ratatouille in a slow cooker takes more time, but it’s really easy, because all you have to do is prep it, throw it in and leave it there until it’s done. There is no need to watch it or to adjust anything.

And because we are cooking the veggies at low temperature, they keep most of their nutrients and flavor, making them healthier and more delicious.

Best Slow Cooker Ratatouille Recipe For This Fall (2)

If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can find a decent priced one on Amazon, but you can also make this recipe in the oven, without a crock pot. I have included the instructions for doing that in the Recipe Notes below.

But before we rock the kitchen, I would like to tell you a few things about this dish. I have also included my best tips for making this easy slow cooker ratatouille recipe, so keep reading as it gets interesting.

Now, out of curiosity, how many of you know what ratatouille is?
Just to be clear, I am not talking about the movie, and the recipe was not named after it.

What is Ratatouille

Best Slow Cooker Ratatouille Recipe For This Fall (3)

According to Wikipedia, Ratatouille is a stew made of veggies and it originates from south of France, more specifically Nice. Hence, it is sometimes called ratatouille niçoise.

In its old days, it was known as the poor man’s dish. Today, it became so popular around the world and although it is relatively cheap to make, it’s hardly for the poor.

The traditional ratatouille recipe is made of eggplant, zucchini, tomato, onion, garlic, seasoning, bell peppers, basil, and thyme.

But due to its current popularity, there are now so many versions of it.

Best Slow Cooker Ratatouille Recipe For This Fall (4)

Now, as mentioned above, I like to mix the classic and the modern when cooking. So today I will show you how to make a traditional ratatouille recipe in a slow cooker.

You can serve it as an appetizer, main, or side dish.

If you’re a vegetarian it’s great as a main. But since most foodies love it as a side dish, I will give you a few ideas on what to serve with ratatouille.

What To Serve With Ratatouille

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The answer to this would be quite broad because it goes perfectly with a lot of dishes. But I will narrow it down to my favorites, as I think you will love them too:

  1. Roast Chicken
  2. Steak
  3. Crusty bread or toasted sourdough (Vegetarian)
  4. Roast duck
  5. On a toast with melted mozzarella on top
  6. With avocado toasts (Vegan – if you skip the Parmesan cheese)
  7. Baked Salmon
  8. Grilled meats
  9. With fried eggs and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley

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Now that you know what to serve with ratatouille, I will also give you a few tips about cooking it:

  • Use only good quality olive oil. This will enhance flavor, while the cheapest ones will taint it.
  • The best way to make the spiral shape is to pick each veggie slice and build a small stack in your hand. Then place it into the slow cooker following its edges all the way around in a spiral shape.
  • Place the tomato sauce at the bottom of the slow cooker and not on the veggies, so that they will remain firm and keep their nice shape after cooking.

Now you know what ratatouille is, what to serve with it, and the best tips for cooking it. So let’s rock the kitchen, shall we?

Watch the video and see how to make Ratatouille in a slow cooker, and don’t forget to Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for more recipe videos.

How To Make Ratatouille In A Slow Cooker

Best Slow Cooker Ratatouille Recipe For This Fall (7)

Slow Cooker Ratatouille Recipe

This slow cooker ratatouille recipe is a delicious autumn recipe that you can serve as an appetizer, main or side dish

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine French, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 268kcal

Author Mihaela

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 can (250g/8oz) chopped tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves - minced
  • 1 Tbsp Italian spices
  • 1 large red onion
  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 1 white eggplant - (optional)
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 2 red potatoes
  • 3 sweet peppers - different colors
  • 1/2 cup (50g) finely grated parmesan
  • A pinch of fresh thyme
  • Salt & pepper - to taste

Instructions

  • Slice all veggies using a mandoline. You can also slice them with a sharp knife, but a mandoline will make even and thin slices.

  • Place the chopped tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, garlic and Italian spices in the slow cooker.

  • Season generously with salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Add half of the grated parmesan.

  • Layer the sliced veggies on top. Make a spiral-shaped stack of veggies, then drizzle olive oil.(NOTES - The best way to make the spiral, is to pick each veggie slice and build a small stack in your hand. Then place it into the slow cooker following its edges all the way around.)

  • Add in the remaining parmesan. Season to your taste and sprinkle fresh thyme.

  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for about 4-5 hours.

    NOTE: If you cook on HIGH check it after 2 hours. If you cook on LOW check it after 4. Cooking time depends on how thick the veggie slices are, and on the model of your slow cooker.

Recipe Notes

You can also make this recipe in the oven. Replace the slow cooker with a round oven-proof dish or a cast iron pan and cook it in the oven for about 1.5 hours,at 350F/180C.

The ingredients remain the same.

Nutrition

Serving: 340g | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 1381mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 3136IU | Vitamin C: 143mg | Calcium: 226mg | Iron: 3mg

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Best Slow Cooker Ratatouille Recipe For This Fall (2024)

FAQs

What's the secret of a good ratatouille? ›

Ratatouille requires ripe vegetables, a liberal hand with the olive oil, and patience: only long, slow cooking will give you the creamy soft vegetables, and intense, almost jammy sauce that sings of the sun. Anything else is just plain vegetable stew.

Can ratatouille be prepared ahead of time? ›

Ratatouille takes some time to make, and tastes better the next day, so plan ahead. The upside is that it's a perfect make-ahead dish for a party.

What is the correct order of steps for making ratatouille? ›

  1. Step 1: Roast Nuts. Start by roasting the pine nuts in a dry frying pan. ...
  2. Step 2: Prepare Eggplant. Dice the eggplant, put the cubes in a strainer and sprinkle with salt. ...
  3. Step 3: Slice the Onion. ...
  4. Step 4: Cook the Onion. ...
  5. Step 5: Add Tomato Puree. ...
  6. Step 6: Cook Peppers. ...
  7. Step 7: Mushrooms and Zucchini. ...
  8. Step 8: Eggplant.

What are the two ways ratatouille is commonly served? ›

Ratatouille is usually served warm, but it can also be eaten cold as a refreshment on a hot summer day. Ratatouille is by its nature vegetarian and vegan, but it often accompanies grilled meat or fish.

What is in classic French ratatouille? ›

Ratatouille is a classic French dish from the region of Provence that consists of eggplant, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs that are quickly seared and then gently stewed. The result is a creamy delicious mixture of fresh vegetables that serves as a wonderful main or side dish.

Why is my ratatouille watery? ›

It won't work in a wok or sauce pan – the heat is not spread out enough and the ratatouille will become too liquidy. So basically you kind of need to stick around in the kitchen and stir it often. If you see that there is too much liquid, turn the heat up.

How do you take the bitterness out of ratatouille? ›

My Mother's Ratatouille
  1. Ingredients. • 2 Japanese eggplants, diced. • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil. ...
  2. Instructions. Submerge the eggplant in ice-cold water and let it sit for 10 minutes to remove any. bitterness. ...
  3. Notes: Many cooks will claim that salting an eggplant will remove its bitterness, but I learned from a.
Apr 9, 2023

What to serve next to ratatouille? ›

Ratatouille goes well with all kinds of grilled meats—I love it with flank steak, lamb, and veal, especially. A gourmet burger, served open face. Yes. A good steaky fish.

What is the final dish in ratatouille called? ›

The final dish on the movie is Confit Byaldi, which was the brain child of Thomas Keller, an American chef.

What is the last dish in ratatouille? ›

Fun fact: the signature dish Rémy serves at the end of Ratatouille isn't technically a ratatouille; it's a tian, which is an artful arrangement of sliced summer vegetables baked over a tomato and pepper sauce.

What is the difference between caponata and ratatouille? ›

But, to me, ratatouille is more of a saucy stew, and the veggies will vary depending on what you have on hand. Caponata is more of a salad or an appetizer that is altogether savory, sweet, and sour, thanks to the use of briny olives, salty capers, sweet raisins, and a spike of vinegar.

What does ratatouille mean in French? ›

The word ratatouille comes from Occitan ratatolha. The dish is a traditional vegetable stew that was once known as a poor man's meal but is now one of the most known and loved around the world.

What is a peasant dish ratatouille? ›

History of Ratatouille

This beloved summer stew first emerged as a solution for hunger, as it was invented by poor farmers back in 1700s Provençe. With so many bellies to fill, nothing could go to waste. Accordingly, the French peasants would cook their leftover vegetables for hours to create a hearty, coarse stew.

How to make the perfect ratatouille Disney Dreamlight Valley? ›

To make ratatouille in Disney Dreamlight Valley, you'll need to bring the following ingredients to any of the stoves/hobs in the game: eggplant (AKA aubergine), zucchini (AKA courgette), onion, tomato, and the spice of your choice. Simply chuck those food items into any active hob and your job will be done.

Where does ratatouille say the best food is made? ›

NARRATOR: Although each of the world's countries would like to dispute this fact, we French know the truth; the best food in the World is made in France.

What should ratatouille taste like? ›

It is a rich and flavoursome stew that is enhanced with the addition of aromatic herbs and spices, like garlic and thyme, which meld with the sauce and sink into the vegetables.

What is ratatouille supposed to be? ›

Ratatouille is a bright and chunky summer vegetable stew, rich with olive oil and fragrant with garlic and herbs. Hailing from Provence, a region in the south of France near the Mediterranean Sea, ratatouille is a bright and chunky summer vegetable stew made with eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes.

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