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Ratatouille with White Beans – Sharon Palmer, The Plant Powered Dietitian

October 3, 2022
Edwina E. Procter

A harvest from your summer vegetable garden or trip to the farmers market—and rummage through the kitchen cupboard—never looked so delicious! With one large saucepan and a few simple ingredients, this mouthwatering plant-based, gluten-free Ratatouille with White Beans is sure to satisfy any hearty appetite.

The classic tradition of ratatouille takes full advantage of summery, sunshine-loving vegetables, such as zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and herbs. The roots of this dish come from 18th century France in the Provence and Nice area. This Mediterranean recipe follows along with the principle of “making something of nothing.” Essentially, you create cuisine out of all of the beautiful things that grow in the region during a particular season. And those vegetables when paired together create absolute magic, though this is considered a humble, plant-based dish. But the best things in life are simple, rustic, and unassuming. Such as ratatouille!

I’m a huge fan of this dish, as I live in a Mediterranean grown region myself. I always have an abundance of zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and herbs in my garden every summer. So, it’s a cinch to whip up this recipe a couple of times a month during the season. I added a flourish of pine nuts and a can of white beans to boost the nutrition value of this dish. It is essentially a one dish meal, balanced with protein, healthy carbs, and nutrients. Pair it with some crusty, whole grain bread.

Watch me make this recipe live in my Rooted Santa Barbara cooking class here.

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Description

This plant-based (vegan), gluten-free recipe is inspired by the French Mediterranean tradition of ratatouille, which includes sunshine-loving vegetables eggplant and zucchini, along with white beans, providing an easy balanced meal-in-one.

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1  small onion, sliced
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced
  • 1 small eggplant, sliced
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid (may use 2 cups fresh, chopped tomatoes)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed well (or 2 cups cooked)
  • 1/2 cup olives, drained
  • 2 teaspoons fresh chopped or dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • Salt to taste (optional)
  • Pepper to taste

  1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil. Add garlic, onion, zucchini, and eggplant, and sauté for about 8 minutes.
  2. Add tomatoes, white beans, olives, and oregano, stir well, and cover. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes (longer if using fresh tomatoes), stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, and mixture is thick and bubbly.
  3. Season with salt (optional) and pepper to taste. Garnish with pine nuts.
  4. Serve as an entree or side-dish; excellent with pasta or whole grains.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 18 minutes
  • Category: Entree
  • Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 165
  • Sugar: 3.5 g
  • Sodium: 192 mg
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 18 g
  • Fiber: 7 g
  • Protein: 5 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: ratatouille,white bean

For more Mediterranean vegan entrée recipes, try these:

Moroccan Chickpea Sorghum Bowl
Cretan Gigantes Beans
Moroccan Chickpea Freekeh Eggplant Skillet

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