My version of this classic rustic French eggplant and pepper stew amps up the flavor with oregano, chipotle, and black olives. Cook it with set-and-forget ease in your slow cooker. You don’t need to be a cartoon mouse French chef or loads of time in the kitchen to dazzle your family. This recipe makes a lot, but you can change it up with variations below or just freeze the extra.
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| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Passive Time | 3.5 hours |
| Servings |
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds firm globe eggplant cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 pound green bell peppers seeded and chopped
- 1 each red onion chopped
- 28 ounce canned, diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 8 ounces black olives sliced
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Put all ingredients except olives in a 3-quart or larger slow cooker and stir. Cover slow cooker and turn it on, choosing the setting based on your schedule: low to be ready in 8 hours, high to be ready in four, or something in between.
- Ratatouille is done when eggplant is meltingly tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot in a bowl with sliced black olives on top and a baguette on the side or see variations below. Refrigerate extra for up to a week or freeze for up to a year.
Recipe Notes
Variations
- Give your ratatouille some support. Serve it on hot baked potatoes, cooked noodles, rice, or quinoa.
- Amp up the protein. Add a half-cup cooked chickpeas per serving.
- Stretch it. Combine 1 cup ratatouille and one 28-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes for a more traditional pasta sauce.
- Make it traditional. Use 1/4 cup basil ribbons instead of oregano and omit chipotle. Skip the olives too if you want.
- Chill it. It makes a fine side salad or sandwich filling when cold.
Other tips
- Why am I not using fresh tomatoes in season? I don't want to peel them. If you have a mountain of tomatoes and the time, by all means use what you have.
- When it's really hot, I set my slow cooker on my covered porch to keep the heat outside the house.
