Mushroom Ratatouille with Quinoa
This mushroom ratatouille swaps traditional eggplant for rich and meaty mushrooms. This classic Provençal stew has an added richness from roasted bell peppers and zucchini, and makes a great Summer dinner served alongside warm quinoa.
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What is mushroom ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a classic French Provençal vegetable stew which traditionally contains eggplant, pepper, zucchini, onion, tomato and a herb mix called herbes de Provence. It originates from Nice, which is in the Provençal region of France. My mushroom ratatouille recipe swaps the eggplant for a mix of delicious mushrooms.
It’s fantastic for late Summer, making the best of fresh veggies after they have spent all Summer ripening in the sun. However, that doesn’t stop it from being delicious from late spring all the way into early Autumn, so if you freeze it you can enjoy it over winter too.
Traditionally, provencal ratatouille is made on the stove, frying the vegetables one at a time then simmering them in a tomato sauce. To make this a little easier, I have roasted some of the vegetables and stewed the others, which reduces the hands on time and means you can crack on with other jobs whilst it cooks. This does mean that this isn’t necessarily a traditional ratatouille recipe.
This is so quick and easy as you can make the mushroom and tomato base on the stove, whilst the zucchini and peppers caramelise in the oven. I love the flavour of vegetables roasted in the oven, as the rich, sweet and slightly charred flavour just doesn’t compare!
Make a big batch of ratatouille with mushrooms this weekend and you can keep it in the fridge and enjoy it all week. Alternatively, freeze it for easy weeknight meals for months. This provencal ratatouille is great as a vegetarian main, but works well as a vegetable side dish too.
Why I love this recipe
- It’s full of delicious summer flavours.
- It’s a healthy, low calorie meal, and served with quinoa which is a complete protein.
- Roasting the vegetables in the oven means that nothing goes mushy and all of the vegetables retain their integrity.
- It’s super flexible, so you can swap in any summer vegetables you have on hand.
- Mushroom ratatouille makes a fantastic freezer filler for busy evenings.
What ingredients are needed for provencal ratatouille?
Olive oil– Olive oil is used to roast the vegetables and fry off the onion in the sauce. You could swap this for canola or vegetable oil if you would prefer.
Bell peppers– I like to use sweet red bell pepper, but you could use green bell pepper if you prefer.
Zucchini– or yellow squash. Make sure they are nice and firm to the touch.
Onion– Go for brown onion in this recipe. One large onion is perfect, but you could use a couple of small ones if that’s what you have to hand.
Garlic– My favourite aromatic, of course! I find that 6 cloves of garlic works best in this zucchini and mushroom ratatouille.
Mushrooms– I’ve gone for a mix of mushroom varieties, including crimini, oyster and enoki.
Tomatoes– You will need 4 large ripe tomatoes for this recipe. I like vine ripened tomatoes as they tend to have the best flavour for a Summer ratatouille. Make sure they are red and firm to the touch.
Tomato paste– This adds some extra rich tomatoey flavour.
Herbes de provence– Using ready made herb mixes means that you’ll have less jars in your pantry, and ensures the combination of herbs works well together. Herbes de provence is a traditional French herb mix, containing fennel, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme. You could make your own herb mix if you would rather (I love this recipe).
Basil– A little bit of fresh basil right at the end of cooking really lifts the flavour.
Quinoa– I’ve chosen to serve my mushroom ratatouille with quinoa.
Equipment needed
You will need a sharp knife to chop the vegetables and a sheet pan to roast them. I would recommend cooking the ratatouille provencale in a dutch oven or casserole dish, but a large sauté pan or wide saucepan would also do the job.
You will also need a blender, bullet blender, or immersion/stick blender to blend the tomatoes to a pulp. Alternatively, you could grate the whole tomatoes (if you don’t have a blender or don’t fancy the washing up!).
How to make mushroom ratatouille
Preparing the vegetables and quinoa
The first important step of this recipe is making sure that you chop the vegetables into the right sizes. Chop the bell pepper into 1 inch cubes. Then, cut the zucchinis lengthwise into quarters, and chop those quarters into 1 inch pieces.
Coat the chopped vegetables with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper, then bake at 200c or 390f for 20-30 minutes until soft and caramelised.
Next, get the quinoa on the go. Rinse the quinoa in a sieve under a running tap, then add it to a saucepan along with 1.5 cups/375ml salted water. Bring it to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and continue for around 20 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff up the quinoa with a fork, then re-cover the pan.
Making the mushroom ratatouille
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan or dutch oven over a medium heat, then add the chopped onion. Fry it for 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes until it’s aromatic.
Add the chopped mushrooms to the pan, stir to combine, and turn the heat to medium high. Continue to fry them for 5 minutes until they start to release moisture.
In a blender or jug with an immersion blender, blitz the chopped tomatoes to a pulp.
Add the tomato pulp to the pan along with the tomato paste and herbes de provence. Give it all a stir, then simmer for 10 minutes until the roasted vegetables are ready.
Add the roasted zucchini and peppers to the pan, stir to combine, then simmer for 10 minutes more to allow the flavours to meld.
Finally, stir the chopped basil through the mushroom ratatouille and season to taste with salt and black pepper, then serve with the cooked quinoa.
Serving suggestions
I have recommended serving this mushroom ratatouille with quinoa for a healthier option. I love quinoa as it’s a complete vegan protein, with loads of fiber and antioxidants. Preventing soggy quinoa is all about cooking it properly, so make sure you follow the measurements and timings in the instructions for perfect fluffy quinoa.
If you don’t fancy quinoa and ratatouille, you could also serve this dish:
- With brown rice, polenta, or bulgar wheat.
- Over your favourite pasta shape.
- With toasted french bread or pitta.
- With a slice of vegan frittata (in warm weather, this is a great cold lunch).
- On the side of roasted or mashed potatoes.
- Alongside risotto or arancini.
- Accompanied by a protein based dish, such as roasted tofu or grilled tempeh.
- Or for a lower carb option, with some greens such as sauteed kale.
My top tip for the best mushroom ratatouille
As mentioned above, it’s important that you chop the zucchini, pepper and any other veggies you choose to roast to the same size, so that they roast evenly. I like to go for an inch cube, as if you go too small they will disappear to nothing when they roast.
Roast the vegetables for long enough so that they start to char around the edges, as this is when they have the best, rich caramelized flavour.
Ingredient substitutes or additions
- You can swap the fresh tomatoes for a can of diced tomatoes if this is what you have to hand.
- If you have plenty of fresh herbs, add a bouquet garni to the pan as the sauce simmers for an extra punch of herby flavour in your provencal ratatouille.
- This is a very flexible recipe, so you can add in your favourite vegetables- aubergine, cauliflower and summer squash are perfect for roasting in the oven, or add peas or green beans to the sauce at the same time as the tomato pulp.
- Add some protein into the mushroom ratatouille. You could roast tofu, tempeh or seitan chunks along with the vegetables, or add canned beans or chickpeas (drained and rinsed) to the sauce for 10 minutes at the end.
- Make this a filling, one pot meal by making it into a potato ratatouille! Add thinly sliced, parboiled potatoes to the top of the ratatouille stew (only in an oven safe pan!), then brush with a little oil and finish it off in the oven for 20 minutes until golden.
FAQ’s
If possible, I would recommend making this provencal ratatouille recipe a day ahead. The flavours meld together and it’s even more delicious the next day. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container, with the quinoa stored separately.
You can eat it cold, or just bring it out to room temperature an hour before eating. If you would like to eat it warm, heat portions in the microwave until piping hot through, or bring the whole lot to a simmer on the stove.
You can also freeze this ratatouille with mushrooms for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Defrost in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours before heating as above. In a pinch, you could heat it from frozen, but this may make the vegetables a little mushy.
You can freeze the quinoa, but store and reheat this separately.
Looking for some more freezer friendly recipes?
Why not try…
- This brown lentil dahl with cauliflower.
- These vegan jackfruit enchiladas.
- A plate of Lebanese cabbage rolls.
- Some Summer split pea soup.
- A bowl of instant pot cauliflower stew.
- Or this chilli ‘non’ carne.
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Mushroom Ratatouille with Quinoa
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Medium sheet pan/baking tray
- Dutch oven or large pan
- Blender or immersion/stick blender or grater
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium sweet red bell peppers 1 inch chopped
- 2 medium zucchinis 1 inch chopped
- 1 large brown onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 500 g mixed mushrooms roughly chopped
- 4 ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp herbes de provence
- ½ bunch fresh basil leaves chopped
- 300 g uncooked quinoa
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°c/390°f.
- Coat the chopped peppers and zucchinis with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Bake them in the preheated oven until soft and caramelised, around 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa in a sieve under a running tap, then add it to a saucepan along with 1½ cups/375ml salted water. Bring it to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for around 20 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff up the quinoa with a fork, then re-cover the pan.
- Next, heat the remaining oil in your pan over a medium heat, then add the diced onion. Fry it for 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes until it’s aromatic.
- Add the chopped mushrooms to the pan, stir to combine, and turn the heat to medium high. Continue to fry them for 5 minutes until they start to release moisture.
- In a blender or jug with an immersion blender, blitz the chopped tomatoes to a pulp. Alternatively, you could grate the whole tomatoes (if you don’t have a blender or don’t fancy the washing up!).
- Add the tomato pulp to the pan along with the tomato paste and herbes de provence. Give it all a stir, then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the roasted zucchini and peppers to the pan, stir to combine, then simmer for 10 minutes more to allow the flavours to meld.
- Finally, stir through the chopped basil and season to taste with salt and black pepper, then serve with the cooked quinoa.
Notes
Nutrition
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