Ratatouille, the Soup!

Ratatouille Soup, photo by Ms. O

I like to cook meals that don't require a lot of time in the kitchen and making Ratatouille is the perfect one pot meal on a snowy day. The last time I made this meal was about four years ago. I  don't know why it's taken this long but I'm glad I had a taste for Ratatouille and decided to make a pot.


Ratatouille is a vegetable dish consisting of onions, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini. There are many variations but I used the recipe on the Rachel Ray site. I made a few eliminations and adjustments though. The recipe consists of the following:

3 tables spoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 (each) Green and Red Bell peppers, seeded and chopped
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 medium Eggplant, peeled and diced
2 small Zucchini, diced
*Salt and Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 can (28oz), diced tomatoes
**6 cups vegetable stock
A handful of fresh Basil, torn or shredded

*I used Red Crushed Pepper because we like things spicy.
**Rachel calls for chicken stock but I used vegetable stock for the Vegetarian in the family.

I bought all the vegetables, fresh herbs and canned diced tomatoes from my local grocery store. Cutting the vegetables didn't take very long. Here's how it was prepared:

I heated one of my deep pots over medium heat and when it was hot enough, I poured in the Olive oil. I added all the vegetables, stirred frequently and cooked until the onion was tender; about ten minutes.

Next, I added the diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, salt and crushed pepper. I brought it to a boil and let it simmer for about ten minutes because I didn't want the vegetables to get to get mushy.

This meal is simple, delicious and healthy. I don't know how many calories but I know that it's low in fat and all the veggies probably meet the required daily allowance. I like my meals hot but Ratatouille can be served cold as well.

There are many things that can go into this soup but I'm guessing I won't be able to call it Ratatouille. I can easily see adding white fish, Button Mushrooms, or Okra. I've added Baby Spinach when I heat up a bowl to eat and that's delicious and I get an extra boost of nutrients. Here's to your health and one pot meals!