CHICKPEA RATATOUILLE

Nourish
CHICKPEA RATATOUILLE

Serves 6

A delicious healthy recipe from our Co-Founder and Nutrition Director, Louise Keats.

Ratatouille is one of those great make-ahead dishes that happily keeps in the fridge for a few days and can be used in so many ways – eat it as is, serve it as a side dish or pasta sauce, I even like to pop some into a pan with some eggs and let them gently cook through for a weekend breakfast. The chickpeas add a post-workout protein boost.

If you have any fresh thyme or other herb on hand, feel free to add it towards the end of the cooking time.

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free, Vegetarian, Vegan

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium eggplant (600g), chopped into chunks
  • 3 zucchini (360g), cut into thick slices
  • 3 medium capsicum (600g), stalk and seeds removed and cut into strips
  • 2 red onions (340g), diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • ½ bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and stalks finely sliced
  • 300g green beans, ends trimmed
  • 6 ripe tomatoes (450g), roughly chopped
  • 1 x 400 g tin quality chopped tomatoes
  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas (see Tips)
  • 1 ½ tbs quality balsamic vinegar
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, cut in half

METHOD

  1. Heat 2 tbs of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the eggplant, and fry for around 5-10 minutes, or until golden and softened (use a little extra oil if desired). Transfer into a large bowl. Add remaining 1 tbs oil, zucchini and capsicum and fry for around 5-10 mins until golden and softened. Transfer to bowl with eggplant.
  2. Add the onion, garlic and basil stalks to pan (with a little extra oil, if needed). Fry for 10 minutes, or until golden and softened. Add beans, fresh tomatoes and tinned tomatoes (rinse out tin with ¼ cup water and add to pan).
  3. Return the cooked veg to the pan and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Partially cover the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
  4. Stir through the olives and chickpeas and cook for a further 5 minutes. Stir through the lemon zest and add sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with basil leaves and an extra drizzle of olive oil if liked.

TIPS

  • If you’re using tinned chickpeas, use 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas, rinsed and drained.