Sun-dried Vegetable Ratatouille

Take an extra bit of time to sun-dry vegetables - it concentrates their umami, offering so much more flavor to your dish. Try this ratatouille recipe, and we're pretty sure you'll taste the difference!

Sun-dried Vegetable Ratatouille
Photographed by Taku Kudo


Recipe by
Kentetsu Kou

Average

Vegetables

Party

820kcal

40minutes

Calorie count is for full recipe.
Excludes time needed to sun-dry the vegetables and cool the ratatouille.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggplants (200 g)
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
    Note

    *The red and yellow bell peppers should add up to be about 300g.

  • 1 onion (200 g)
  • 1 zucchini (150 g)
  • 1 stalk celery (150 g)
  • 15 cherry tomatoes (approx. 230 g)
  • 1 clove garlic (thinly sliced)

  • [A]

    • 1/2 can whole tomatoes (in water; crushed) (200 g)
    • 1 tbsp tomato paste (store-bought)
      Note

      *If available.

    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 bay leaf
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Black pepper (coarsely ground)

Directions

1

Cut off the stems from the eggplants. Remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers. Cut the eggplants, bell peppers and onion into bite-size pieces. Remove the stem from the zucchini and cut it into 5 mm thick rounds. Remove the leaves and strings from the celery and cut diagonally into 1 cm thick slices. Remove the stems from the cherry tomatoes, then cut them lengthwise in half and remove the seeds. Lay the cut vegetables on a wicker tray and dry in the sun for 2-6 hours.

Advice

Sun-drying the vegetables concentrates their umami.

2

Heat 2-3 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Lay the eggplants and zucchini in the pan and slowly cook both sides. Sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and pepper, then remove.

Advice

Let the vegetables brown slowly as they absorb the oil.

3

Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan. Lay the bell peppers and onion in the pan and slowly brown both sides. Add the celery and garlic, stir-fry briefly, and sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and pepper.

4

Add [A] to the pan, stir, and simmer for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Return the eggplants and zucchini to the pan, add the cherry tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and let cool. Transfer to a food storage container and chill.

Advice

Will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.