My husband was bringing so many zucchinis from the garden that I was running out of ideas to use them. I decided to create a twist on traditional ratatouille. This one is slow cooked, has chickpeas in it, and develops an addictive flavor with the addition of smoked paprika. I couldn’t stop myself from getting seconds and thirds, and mopping up the delicious, vibrant juices with more quinoa. I usually only cook with seasonal ingredients, but this is one recipe I never mind making in the winter! I’ve tried many slow cookers, and my absolute favorite is this one, by KitchenAid.
Super Flavorful Slow Cooked Ratatouille with Quinoa {JoannaSteven.com}
Ingredients
- Olive oil, as needed
- 1 large onion, diced small
- 1 large head garlic, about 6 large cloves, halved (or more!)
- 1 large eggplant, cubed
- 2-3 medium zucchinis
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 14-oz can chickpeas, organic
- 1 14-oz can fire-roasted tomatoes, organic
- 1/4 cup basil to finish
Instructions
- Place your 5 qt slow cooker to your side.
- In a large pan, heat a little olive oil, and saute the onions and garlic until golden. Add to the slow
- cooker.
- Next, in more olive oil, saute the eggplant until warm but not fully cooked. You just want to give it a little color. Add to the slow cooker.
- Repeat with the zucchini.
- In the slow cooker, add the herbs and spices, tomatoes, and chickpeas.
- Cover, and cook for about 5 hours, or until fully cooked and tender. You can keep the slow cooker
- going for longer if it's not dinner time yet.
- Before serving, taste for salt, and add thinly slices basil ribbons. Give it a stir, and serve with quinoa.