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Remi's Ratatouille Soup

Remi's ratatouille soup is a French-American vegetable soup simmered until zucchini, eggplant, and squash are very tender. It’s built with crushed and diced tomatoes, herbs de Provence, and finished with fresh basil plus a drizzle of olive oil.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 165
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Eggplant, diced
  • 2 small eggplants Dice for even cooking.
Zucchini and yellow squash
  • 2 zucchini Dice for even cooking.
  • 2 yellow squash Dice for even cooking.
Bell peppers and onion
  • 2 red bell peppers Dice for even cooking.
  • 1 onion Dice for even cooking.
Garlic
  • 6 cloves garlic Minced.
Tomatoes
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Broth
  • 4 cup vegetable broth
Olive oil and seasonings
  • 3 tbsp olive oil Used for sautéing and finishing.
  • 2 tsp herbs de Provence
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil Chiffonade.
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste To taste.
For serving
  • 1 olive oil and parmesan for serving To finish bowls.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep the vegetables
  1. Toss the diced eggplant with salt and let it sit 15 minutes, then rinse and dry.
  2. Dice the zucchini, yellow squash, red bell peppers, and onion; mince the garlic; chiffonade the fresh basil.
Cook the soup base
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion and bell peppers for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
  2. Add the garlic and eggplant and cook for 5 minutes, stirring so the eggplant starts to brown.
  3. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and cook for 3 minutes to begin tenderizing while keeping some shape.
Simmer
  1. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, herbs de Provence, dried basil, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes.
  2. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until all vegetables are very tender, stirring occasionally as the broth turns cohesive.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the fresh basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Finish each bowl with a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan, for a vibrant, glossy top.

Notes

Pro tip: salting the eggplant and rinsing removes excess bitterness so the soup tastes more balanced. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months (reheat gently and add a little extra fresh basil after thawing). For a dairy-free option, skip the parmesan topping or use a plant-based parmesan-style sprinkle.