Chickpea and Fennel Ratatouille

- Total Time
- About 1½ hours, largely unattended
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound eggplant (smaller is better), peeled if you like, and cut into large chunks
- ¾pound zucchini, cut into large chunks
- 1pound Roma (plum) tomatoes, cored and chopped, or 1 28-ounce can, drained
- 1onion, sliced
- 2red or yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and sliced
- 1fennel bulb (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into large chunks
- 5garlic cloves, halved
- 1teaspoon salt, more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- ¼cup olive oil
- 3cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
- 1tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, or ½ cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients except oil, chickpeas and herbs in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and toss to combine.
- Step 2
Transfer to oven and roast, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned and tender and some water has been released from the tomatoes to create a sauce, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Step 3
Add chickpeas, stir and return to oven until beans heat through, 5 to 10 minutes. Add herbs and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Private Notes
Comments
I've made a version of this almost every week this summer - sometimes I add kalamata olives, capers, and.or artichoke hearts when I add the chickpeas. I usually add these all about 20 min before the veggies are done so they get a chance to roast a bit too. Heaven!
This is a really flexible recipe that does well with slight changes to ingredients. I've used the gist of it several times. I don't like fennel so I leave that out, and I often add a few mushrooms. I use a bit less oil. Following exact quantities isn't super important. The one thing I strongly recommend is adding half a cup of red wine when you add the chickpeas for a little extra moisture and a big boost in flavor.
This freezes well in smaller portions. Reheat thawed portion on high for approximately 2 minutes. GREAT recipe.
Made it with mushrooms instead of fennel. A little boring roasted compared to sauteeing the vegs. Could have used some tomato paste, bay leaf, oregano etc. Also, you need to add the oil before putting into the stove.
I like adding a few teaspoons of harissa when the tomatoes start to break down.
Serve with crumbled feta on top. Or broil some halloumi cheese with the vegetables the last few minutes.
