Ratatouille with White Beans and Quinoa
Ratatouille can come in many forms – some people love a ratatouille as a gratin-style dish, some love it simmered for hours until its stew-like, some like it lightly cooked, and some, like me, like it cooked just enough so the vegetables are soft but still hold their shape and the flavor has enough time to develop.
Just thyme, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper, are all you need to make ratatouille delicious – the vegetables really do all the talking! It truly screams summer and what I love is that I can literally find all these ingredients at the farmer’s market, so I always look forward to making a ratatouille and supporting my local farmers
I added some grated Parmesan cheese as an additional topping, but this really doesn’t need it, so make it to your preference. And if you want to make this as a side dish, just skip the quinoa and serve it as a side vegetable dish (with or without the white beans!), making this a versatile recipe.
Definitely bookmark this page – you’ll want to make this ratatouille all the time and you’ll be surprised by how filling it is, thanks to all the fiber in the vegetables, beans, and the protein in the quinoa.
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Ratatouille with White Beans
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium eggplant, large diced
- 2 medium zucchinis, large diced
- salt and pepper
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 2 medium tomatoes, large diced
- 1 bell pepper, large diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- grated Parmesan cheese, to garnish (optional)
- red pepper flakes, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the eggplant and zucchini, season generously with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3-5 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large bowl and then add back in the remaining olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly browned and then add in the garlic and thyme and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, peppers, cooked eggplant and squash, bay leaf, apple cider vinegar, and gently stir.
- Raise the heat to high to bring the mixture to a simmer and then turn down to a medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer for 20 to 25 more minutes. In the last 5 minutes, add the beans and stir. You can let this cook for up to an hour to really melt the vegetables, but I find 30-40 minutes is the sweet spot for texture personally. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the basil. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper.
- While ratatouille cooks, cook the quinoa. Place the quinoa and 2 cups of water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy. When done, fluff with a fork and set aside, covered to keep warm.
- Divide the quinoa into bowls and top with ratatouille. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve.
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