Vegan Chickpea Ratatouille Stew is that perfect comfort food dish that’s full of nourishing vegetables and lots of flavor. With traditional flavors like tomato, eggplant, and zucchini, this twist on a classic includes chickpeas and a delicious topping for extra texture and flavor.
You know those certain dishes that feel like a warm hug with every bite? This is one of them! The dreamy combination of tangy vegetables, creamy chickpeas and crunchy breadcrumbs will definitely hit the spot.
This Vegan Chickpea Ratatouille Stew comes together so easily, where a couple saucepans and a sheet pan will have you feasting on some serious deliciousness in about 30 minutes. Whether it’s a weeknight or a weekend, I can totally appreciate an epic 30 minute meal. Here’s a great way to get in your veggies, and feel like you’re indulging at the same time!
My go-to basic marinara
Making your own marinara sauce doesn’t have to take hours, and in fact, it can taste DANG good in around 25 minutes! The perfect timing to boil water and cook pasta, or perhaps roast some vegetables and/or potatoes in the oven, or steam some rice. The key to the deliciousness in this marinara is a handful of ingredients that really add flavor: olive oil, onions, garlic and salt. However, you could totally cut back the olive oil and still get the great benefit of the other ingredients.
I often add diced eggplant in with the onions (like in this Creamy Eggplant Vegan Vodka Sauce recipe), as they create a delicious creamy texture, and depth of flavor. If you’re not an eggplant fan typically, I encourage you to try it this way. You could even blend up the sauce in a food processor or blender, which makes the eggplant nearly unnoticeable!
Switching things up
My Vegan Chickpea Ratatouille Stew uses a traditional combination of vegetables, but you should feel free to switch up the roasted vegetables to include what you like. Roasted cauliflower, carrots, parsnips would be delicious here.
Additionally, you can easily switch up chickpeas for butter beans or cannellini beans. Both would work really well in here.
How it comes together
- Preheat your oven and add your zucchini and bell peppers to the sheet pan, season.
- Put on a saucepan of water to cook the rice.
- In another pan, add your diced onion, garlic, tomatoes. Stir in your crushed tomatoes, seasonings, and chickpeas.
- Once your zucchini and bell peppers are roasted, add them to the fun, top with breadcrumbs and serve with rice.
That’s it!
Helpful items for this recipe
Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless Steel – Silver
Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet (2 Pack), Silver
IF YOU CARE FSC Certified Parchment Baking Paper, 70 sq ft
Vegan Chickpea Ratatouille Stew
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini sliced lengthwise then crosswise
- 2 bell peppers chopped in bite sized chunks
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1/2 large eggplant diced
- 2 to 3 tbsp oil to taste
- 1 to 1.5 tsp kosher salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic minced to taste
- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes sliced
- 1 tsp each dried basil and oregano
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley and/or fresh basil or sub dried parsley as desired
- 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs toasted in a pan (with 1 tsp oil or vegan butter if desired)
Instructions
- On a large baking sheet with parchment paper, place zucchini and bell peppers, sprinkle lightly with oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees F (convect/fan) for 15 min, stir, cook another 10 min but careful not to burn.
- Meanwhile, make marinara sauce. In medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil, eggplant and onions. Cook for approx 15 min partially covered, stirring periodically, until the vegetables are softened and browning a bit.
- Add garlic, cook another minute. Add cherry tomatoes, cook 3 min. Add the dried seasonings and crushed tomatoes, and simmer gently, covered, for 10 min.
- Combine roasted vegetables and chickpeas with just enough sauce to have a chunky stew consistency.
- Top with toasted panko breadcrumbs and fresh parsley/basil.
- Serve with brown rice if desired (or pasta, and salad as another suggestion).