🍲 Bean & Veg Ratatouille

Name: Bean & Veg Ratatouille
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 red pepper, chopped; 1 yellow pepper, chopped; 1 green pepper, chopped; 2 courgettes, sliced into half-moons; 250 g mushrooms, sliced; 200 g broccoli, cut into small florets; 2 tins chopped tomatoes; 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp dried thyme; ½ tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; 10 fresh basil leaves, torn

A rustic, ratatouille-style vegetable stew loaded with peppers, courgette, mushrooms, broccoli and beans, simmered in tomatoes. Great over rice, pasta, or with crusty bread.

Serves 4. Tags: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, freezer-friendly, one-pot.

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 courgettes, sliced into half-moons
250 g mushrooms, sliced
200 g broccoli, cut into small florets
2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
10 fresh basil leaves, torn

Method

Sauté the base: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the peppers and courgette: Add the red, yellow and green peppers and the courgette. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften and lightly colour.
Add mushrooms: Stir in the mushrooms and cook for another 4–5 minutes until they release their liquid and start to brown.
Add tomatoes, broccoli and seasoning: Pour in the chopped tomatoes, then add the broccoli, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Stir well.
Simmer: Bring to a gentle simmer, then partially cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Add beans and finish: Stir in the black beans and cook for a further 5 minutes to heat through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Scatter over the basil if using, and serve.

Notes

Swap in whatever beans you have (cannellini, kidney or chickpeas all work well).
Great over rice, couscous, pasta, or with crusty bread.
Freezes well for up to 3 months.
Broccoli isn't traditional in ratatouille and can go mushy if overcooked — it's added partway through to keep some bite. For a more classic ratatouille, leave out the broccoli and beans and serve them alongside instead.