Recipe: $9.20 | Per Serving: $1.53 | Yield: 6
It's time for another simple slow cooker meal, even though it's summer: Slow Cooker Ratatouille. One of the easiest & best ways to use up a whole bunch of summer produce all at once, this delicious ratatouille is flavored mostly by summer vegetables and a generous handful of fresh basil.
This is one of my favorite things I've made in the last month! It was so incredibly easy, and super delicious. We received some eggplant in our Hungry Harvest Box, and I don't get excited about eggplant, so I decided to toss it together with zucchini, tomatoes, basil, and other summer vegetables to make one of the easiest meals of the summer. I've really decided that the slow cooker is saving my life these days for two main reasons: 1) It doesn't heat up the house as much as the stovetop or oven. 2) It's pretty much hands off. Fantastic!
I was actually surprised by how delicious this was. When I threw a whole bunch of vegetables in the slow cooker, I didn't really have the highest hopes in the world. But, much to my surprise it was so so flavorful and awesome. We served ours with Baked Garlic-Basil Meatballs most days, and with a little leftover pasta once or twice. You can't possibly be disappointed by this recipe - it's awesome!
Slow Cooker Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 4 cups sliced eggplant
- 4 cups sliced zucchini
- 2 cups sliced bell pepper from fresh or frozen
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes optional: use fresh tomatoes instead, 2-4 cups
- ½ medium onion
- 8 cloves garlic crushed and left whole
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- drizzle of olive oil optional
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped
- parmesan cheese or basil-garlic meatballs, optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the basil, parmesan, and meatballs (optional), in a large slow cooker or CrockPot. Stir well, adding just ¼-1/2 cup of water if necessary to combine everything. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil.
- Set crockpot to low and cook for 5-6 hours.
- Optional: remove the lid and turn on high for about 30 minutes to help the liquid thicken up a bit more. If you’re adding meatballs or some other meat, stir them in first and then turn it to high and cook for the additional time.
- Stir in the chopped fresh basil and serve. Serve this as a side dish, or add protein or grains to make it a full meal. Try adding chickpeas to make it an easy vegan meal!
Notes
Nutrition
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