Vegan Ratatouille With Rice

This past weekend, I made my own version of a ratatouille with rice for a going away party for my husband and I . (Just six days until we move to Scotland, now!)

It was a such an easy summer recipe to make, though it does take some time. It tastes very similar to a pasta, sans noodles. Ratatouille is a filling dish that will keep you coming back for more. It’s perfect for any time of year, whether you are celebrating summer or staying warm in winter.

If garlic, summer squash, and decadent tomato sauce served over warm rice sounds good to you, dive in to the recipe below and get cooking!

Ingredients

• 4 summer squash, thinly sliced
• 4 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 4 heirloom tomatoes, diced,
• 5-10 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 jar of pasta sauce
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion
• 1 bag of organic brown rice
• 1 box of spinach
• Dash of sea salt
• Dash of black pepper, to taste
• Dash of cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped
  1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped (sub. 1 teaspoon)
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme (sub. 1 teaspoon)

Directions

1. In a steamer, steam the summer squash and zucchini until soft.
2. Meanwhile, saute the onion and 4 cloves of garlic in a pan with olive oil until caramelized. (Add more olive oil or garlic, as needed.)
3. Add the balsamic vinegar once the onion is soft to give it color and sweetness. Once caramelized, turn off the heat and set aside.
4. In a large pot, add the steamed zucchini, summer squash, caramelized onion, heirloom tomatoes, salt, pepper, cayenne, basil, rosemary, thyme, more garlic cloves (depending on your taste), and pasta sauce. Cook on medium-high until it is boiled down to a soft consistency. (~20 minutes)
5. Take off heat, and add the whole container of spinach. Put the lid on to let steam.
6. When the ratatouille is done set aside and spoon out most of the liquid into a glass container. You will use this to cook the rice.
7. Cook your rice according to the package in the ratatouille broth and water until done.
8. Spoon a generous portion of the ratatouille over the warm rice, top with a sprig of fresh basil, and serve!

Need other ideas for what to do with this ratatouille? Use it for lasagna filling, top it with vegan cheese, or even use it as a topping for a baked potato.

xx