Casual, cozy, and veggie-packed! This one pot ratatouille with chickpeas does it all. Chickpeas make it hearty enough for dinner, while sun-dried and fresh tomatoes add big flavor. A one pot win for busy nights (especially during back-to-school season), meal prep, or using up farmers market hauls!
Ever since I joined a CSA and started gardening years ago, I'm always on the lookout for delicious ways to use up a LOT of vegetables. Sometimes that looks like a veggie-packed salad, but a girl can only eat so many salads! I often want something hearty and comforting, and this simple ratatouille recipe checks all those boxes.
It uses SO many summer veggies (eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini to name a few), and it comes together in one pot for a weeknight meal with minimal clean-up. Perfect for late summer and making weeknight dinners easy for back-to-school.
To get in a bit more protein but keep this ratatouille recipe plant-based, I've added chickpeas and serve it with bread, grains, or pasta to round out the meal. This is one I always look forward to heating up for lunch the next day, so it's great as meal prep as well. Let's make it!
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Key Ingredients + Notes
- Salting eggplant - I highly recommend this step! It draws out water and some of the bitterness, helping the eggplant cook evenly and not absorb as much of the oil while cooking. I like to do this as my first step, because by the time I've chopped up the rest of the veggies, the eggplant is ready to go. Hot efficiency tip of the day!
- Summer veggies - Most of these veggies are in season in July - September, so ratatouille is the perfect way to eat seasonally in late summer.
Please see the recipe card below for full ingredient quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Salt the eggplant and place it in a mesh sieve or colander to drain for 15-20 minutes. Now is a great time to chop all the other veggies.
- Step 2: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the eggplant until golden brown and softened. Transfer to another large bowl and set aside.
- Step 3: Next up, zucchini! Sauté the zucchini until bright green and softened, but not mushy. Transfer to the eggplant bowl and set aside.
- Step 4: Add more olive oil if needed, then add onion, garlic, tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté until softened and tomatoes start to collapse and release their juices, then stir in zucchini, eggplant, and chickpeas.
- Step 5: Simmer for about 20 more minutes until thick and stewy. If you're making a pasta or grain to go with, now is a good time to cook that.
- Step 6: You're done! YUM! Serve piping hot bowls of ratatouille over pasta or grains. Or eat it like we do with plenty of really good sourdough bread.
Tera's Sustainability Tips
- Batch cooking & freezer storage: Make a big pot of ratatouille and freeze portions for later! It cuts down on food waste and gives you a ready-made, sustainable freezer meal. (Your future self will thank you!)
- Eating with the seasons: Ratatouille traditionally uses summer veggies (zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers), but it adapts beautifully year-round. In cooler months, swap in butternut squash, sweet potatoes, or carrots, and use canned tomatoes when fresh ones are out of season. Check out my seasonal produce guides for more seasonal eating inspiration!
- Plant-based protein: Adding beans or legumes makes ratatouille more filling while reducing reliance on meat. You don't have to be fully vegetarian (I'm not!), but a few hearty plant-based meals each week can make a real difference.
If you still have some zucchini to use after making this recipe, whip up some nourishing oat zucchini bread for dessert!
Ratatouille FAQ
Yep! I add chickpeas to this homemade ratatouille recipe, and I also serve it with grains, pasta or bread, which also adds some plant-based protein. You could add white beans, lentils, other legumes, parmesan (for serving), or even chicken!
This can be prevented by staggering the cook times! Cook eggplant first, then zucchini, then the rest of the veggies. Once you add the eggplant and zucchini back in to simmer with the rest of the stew, everything will cook more evenly and not get overdone.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. If desired, you can freeze in portions (in smaller containers) to take out for single serving lunches or dinners!
Pairing Ideas
Looking for some other ideas on what to make with ratatouille? Here are some ideas! The rosemary nuts are delish crushed on top.
📖 Recipe
One Pot Ratatouille with Chickpeas (Easy Weeknight Dinner!)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: ~8 cups
Description
Easy one pot ratatouille with chickpeas and sun-dried tomatoes! This nourishing dinner is made with seasonal ingredients and comes together easily on weeknights with minimal clean-up. Perfect for late summer and back-to-school dinners!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cubed eggplant (about 1 medium eggplant)
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 cups cubed zucchini (about 2-3 medium zucchini)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2-3 cups chopped tomatoes (or halved cherry tomatoes)
- ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, slightly drained
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Bread, pasta, or grains of choice for serving
Instructions
- Strain eggplant. Place the eggplant cubes in a colander or strainer and sprinkle evenly with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Set aside for 15-20 minutes while you chop the other veggies.
- Sauté eggplant. Preheat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil. Add eggplant and sauté until softened, 7-8 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a separate large bowl and set aside.
- Sauté zucchini. Add ½ tablespoon more of the olive oil, and add the zucchini to the pot. Sauté until just softened and bright green, about 5-6 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and transfer to the bowl with the eggplant.
- Sauté remaining veggies. Add the rest of the olive oil to the pot, followed by onions, tomatoes, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté until softened and tomatoes are bursting and releasing their juices (feel free to smoosh them with the back of a spoon as they burst!), about 8 minutes. Add another pinch of salt.
- Simmer. Add the zucchini and eggplant back to the pot along with the chickpeas, the rest of the salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. Stir everything together to incorporate, and increase heat slightly to bring to a simmer. Reduce to a low-medium heat to simmer, partially covered (let some steam escape), for 15-20 more minutes. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Serve with the best sourdough bread or dinner rolls you can find, pasta, or grains of choice!
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- Grains & pasta. If you do serve this ratatouille with grains, check the timing on the grain first so that you know when to start it. Pasta, quinoa, and some quicker-cooking grains can be made while the ratatouille simmers (last 15-20 minutes). Some brown rice varieties, whole grain farro, oat groats, and wheat berries take closer to 30-40 minutes, so you can start those at the beginning.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Stew, dinner
- Method: One pot, stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ~2 cups
- Calories: 243
- Sugar: 7.4 g
- Sodium: 923.2 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.5 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 8.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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