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? ›

Cooking each vegetable separately before combining them in ratatouille ensures that each component cooks to the right texture and retains its distinct flavor. Different vegetables have varying cooking times; for instance, eggplants and peppers take longer to become tender compared to tomatoes and zucchini.

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 are the two ways ratatouille is commonly served? ›

Ratatouille can be served as a first course with bread; it can also be served as a side dish, as you would any vegetable side.

How do you not overcook vegetables in a slow cooker? ›

Slow cooker recipes have (obviously) long cook times, and it's the meat—not the carrots—that benefit from it. By placing the protein at the bottom (closest to the heating element), and vegetables at the top, you can keep your plant parts a little more toothsome, while ensuring your meat is fall-apart tender.

What can I substitute for eggplant in ratatouille? ›

I substituted portabella mushrooms for eggplant, which was not only delicious, but also shaved about 30 minutes off the cooking time. I substituted jalapenos for bell pepper just for fun. At the end, I tried something a friend from Toulouse taught me: add eggs at the end and poach them lightly in the ratatouille.

What to pair with ratatouille? ›

Let's get cooking!
  • Homemade French Bread. What do you traditionally eat with ratatouille? ...
  • Easy Grilled Chicken Breasts. This recipe is especially ideal if you've got really fresh and seasonal veg in your ratatouille. ...
  • Garlic-Butter Steak. ...
  • Mushroom Rice Pilaf. ...
  • Veal Milanese. ...
  • Pasta Bolognese. ...
  • Baked Pork Chops. ...
  • Baked Polenta Chips.
Sep 8, 2023

How do you take the bitterness out of ratatouille? ›

Many cooks will claim that salting an eggplant will remove its bitterness, but I learned from a Japanese friend that soaking it in cold water works better. Sometimes, I like to burn the skins off the peppers to introduce a smoky flavor to the ratatouille; you can do this on a grill or gas stove.

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.

How to cut onions for ratatouille? ›

Every rule has exceptions: the onion must be cut into slices, in this way it will be recognizable in the dish and it will not be lost in the rest of the ingredients; instead, the tomatoes must be cut in half and, if they are very small, they must be cooked after having pricked them with a toothpick.

What is the final dish in ratatouille called? ›

The climax of the film sees Remy prepare the titular dish in the form of confit byaldi for the notoriously harsh food critic Anton Ego, who unexpectedly loves the dish due to nostalgia for his mother's cooking of traditional ratatouille. The movie gave widespread exposure to this dish around the world.

What is a fun fact about ratatouille dish? ›

The teeming summer gardens of Mediterranean France are the inspiration for and source of ratatouille, a dish whose name is taken from two related words: ratouiller, meaning to agitate or stir a liquid, and tatouiller, meaning to beat (as in the drumbeat called the tattoo) or to shake.

What are the most common ingredients used in 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.

What vegetables should not be added to a slow cooker? ›

Tender vegetables

Vegetables such as peas, asparagus and peppers can become a flavorless, mushy mess in a slow cooker.

Why put tea towels on a slow cooker? ›

Try putting a tea towel over the top of the slow cooker before replacing the lid. This absorbs the excess moisture, thickening the dish and deepening its flavours. The cloth can be replaced with a fresh one when needed, but usually one tea towel during the final couple of hours will do the trick.

What cannot be cooked in a slow cooker? ›

10 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker
  1. Raw Meat.
  2. Seafood.
  3. Pasta.
  4. Rice.
  5. Delicate Vegetables.
  6. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.
  7. Dairy.
  8. Wine and Other Liquor.
Jan 19, 2024

How to make the perfect ratatouille in 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.

What is the main lesson of ratatouille? ›

Just like experimenting and playing around with food can lead to a delicious and mind blowing meal, taking risks and doing something unexpected can lead to success in other parts of life as well. This is probably the whole message of Ratatouille. Remy may be a rat, but he is a brilliant chef.

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 is ratatouille supposed to be? ›

Think of the vegetables that grow well in your yard, ready to be picked together in late summer and early fall — that's ratatouille. It's a stew of zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and eggplant, with herbs and spices and some onions and garlic usually thrown in for good measure.

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