We updated this traditional, delicious French dish stuffed with tomatoes, eggplant, and fresh basil, with a batch of crispy tofu, pan-fried to golden perfection. Let these veggies stew on the stove for a simple, vegan weeknight meal that will please every family member’s tastes!
Maybe you’re already familiar with this classic dish, or perhaps you just think it’s the name of a children’s movie about a rat chef.
And while we’re not knocking the movie, if you haven’t tried much traditional French cooking, like ratatouille, you’re missing out.
This stewed vegetable dish is the perfect way to warm you up from the inside out on the coldest winter day and up your veggie intake without compromising on taste.
Ratatouille is delicious, nutritious, and incredibly easy to make – you don’t have to be careful while you chop everything up as long as you keep your veggies approximately similar sizes.
Then leave it covered to simmer on the stove and fill your home with the aroma of cooking garlic, onion, and fresh tomatoes. Yum!
We’re all about easy dinners, so we’ve adapted our simple ratatouille recipe and topped it with crispy, pan-fried tofu. Or, try crispy baked tofu. Wham! You now have a high protein, vegan dinner that takes almost zero effort!
What is ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a coarse stew that originates from France, specifically Nice. It roughly translates into English as “to stir up,” as the dish contains simply stirred, stewed veggies.
The modern-day ratatouille usually contains tomatoes as the base for sautéed garlic, onion, zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper.
Chefs use plenty of fresh and dried herbs to up the ante and add interest to the veggie dish – marjoram, fennel, basil, bay leaf, thyme, or a mix of herbs de Provence are commonly found in a pot of ratatouille.
