This French ratatouille bowl with buckwheat and burrata cheese makes a wholesome and satisfying meal. Naturally gluten-free, it is packed with fiber and nutrients from all groups.
Finally a ratatouille recipe over here! Being French, I couldn’t go on without sharing my own ratatouille version with you. But as always, I added my little twist! As you know, I strongly believe that traditional recipes are meant to evolve with time and as such, I don’t believe there is only one way of making them. That goes for this French ratatouille but also for a Quiche Lorraine or a Gratin Dauphinois. So I made ratatouille into a bowl consisting of other ingredients to pair with the ratatouille, with the idea to make a perfectly wholesome vegetarian meal.
But first thing first, what is a ratatouille? Ratatouille is a French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, including summer ripe vegetables such as tomato, zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and some combination of leafy green herbs common to the region including thyme.
How to make French ratatouille ?
First, chop all the vegetables into chunks. Because they will reduce in size when cooking, you don’t want them too small.
Then, add a very generous drizzle of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Once hot enough, cook vegetables separately and add them together in the end once cooked through. Instead, you could also cook all vegetables at once. However, some vegetables take longer than others to cook, and I find that cooking them separately is what guarantees that they’re all cooked through properly. Also, I recommend you have a liberal hand over the use of olive oil rather than sticking to the recipe proportions. Depending on the size of vegetables, you may need more or less oil. In any case, keep in mind that the longer you cook the ratatouille, the better. Aim for simmering for about 30 minutes or longer, stirring occasionally so vegetables don’t stick to the pan.
Finally, don’t forget the seasoning and the herbs! Let the herbs simmer with the ratatouille, they are what will bring all the flavors to the dish. Also, and because you have a great quantity of vegetables, be generous with the salt (try and taste is always the better judge for a perfect seasoning). Just before serving, remove the herbs.
In short, there is no right or wrong way to make French ratatouille. Just make sure that all vegetables are simmering into a perfectly soft stew, and don’t pass on the seasoning. When ready, serve your ratatouille with buckwheat and a generous ball of burrata cheese, burst over your bowl. Heaven!
The perfect cooking method for buckwheat
I’ll be honest with you here. It took me a few trials and errors before I managed to cook buckwheat properly. It’s indeed very easy to overcook the grain and end up with mushy buckwheat. But as always, we learn from our mistakes and I’m happy to share with you a few tricks so you can get al dente buckwheat every single time.
Before you start, keep in mind the perfect ratio to cook buckwheat: 1 volume of buckwheat = 1,5 volume of water. Always start with measuring the desired volume of buckwheat, so that you know exactly how much water you need.
- Rinse buckwheat and drain well.
- Bring to a boil 1,5 cup of water and a pinch of salt in a pot or saucepan, with lid on (you don’t want the liquid to evaporate).
- Add 1 cup of buckwheat, stir, and bring to boil again.
- Cover, and cook for 5 more minutes on medium heat.
- After 5 minutes, remove from the heat and let sit for about 20 minutes, still with lid on. And voilà, a perfect al dente grain!
French ratatouille bowl nutritional properties
Prepared with buckwheat and cheese, this French ratatouille bowl makes for a satisfying meal. Because ratatouille is about stewed vegetables with olive oil, you could discuss its nutritional properties: on one hand it’s healthy because it’s packed with vegetables and fiber, and on the other hand it’s also a little heavy due to the great quantity of olive oil. But then again, olive oil is also a great source of omega 3.
However, pairing the ratatouille with other ingredients such as a grain (here buckwheat) and a source of protein (burrata cheese) makes a well-balanced bowl that will load you up with energy on the long run. Note also that despite its name, buckwheat is naturally gluten-free, which makes this bowl suitable for all gluten sensitive people.
Other bowl recipes you may also like:
Bowls are very handy as they can easily be prepared in advance. I recommend you cook the grain separately up to a week in advance (usually on Sunday, the perfect day for meal-prep), and then assemble your bowl each day, either you go for a warm or cold option. Here are a few other bowls you may also like:
- Nourishing Buddha Bowl with Green Tahini Sauce: cook quinoa separately
- Comforting Cauliflower Lentil Curry: cook rice separately
- Spiced Chickpea Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl: cook quinoa separately
- Asian Tofu Broccoli Stir-Fry: cook rice separately
Last summer vegetables to use up
When it’s the end of summer and possibly even the beginning of fall, we sometimes find ourselves with overload of ripe tomatoes, zucchini and other summer vegetable to use up. Here are a few recipe ideas to consider:
- Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup. You can also can it or freeze it for later in the season!
- Heirloom Tomato Ricotta Galette. Perfect for using sun-drenched and juicy tomatoes.
- Easy Eggplant Chickpea Curry. An easy way to use eggplants.
- Mediterranean Vegetable Quiche with Feta Cheese. Quiche is always a good option to use up overload of vegetables.
- Grilled Veggie Gyros with Feta Yogurt Dip. It’s time for a last barbecue before days are getting chillier, don’t miss it!
French Ratatouille Bowl with Buckwheat and Burrata
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Savory
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
This French ratatouille bowl with buckwheat and burrata cheese makes a wholesome and satisfying meal. Naturally gluten-free, it is packed with fiber and nutrients from all groups.
Ingredients
For the French ratatouille:
- 1 large eggplant, cubed
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 zucchini, cubed
- 3 bell peppers (one red, one green, one yellow), diced
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves
- 5 large vine-ripened tomatoes, diced and with their juices
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 thyme sprigs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Other ingredients:
- 2 cups (340g) buckwheat, rinsed and drained
- 3,5 cups (85 cl) water
- A pinch of salt
- 1 to 2 fresh burrata balls, burst
Instructions
For the French ratatouille:
- Heat about 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. For best results, cook eggplants, zucchini and bell peppers separately until soft and starting to brown, stirring frequently. Add a little bit more oil as you go if vegetables tend to stick to the bottom of the pan. This process takes about 10 minutes for each type of vegetables. Transfer all vegetables together to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add another Tablespoon of oil to the pan, then add the onion and tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 3 minutes more. Do not brown. Add the tomatoes and their juices, thyme sprigs, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down into a sauce, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the cooked eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers to the pan; bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Cover, and continue to cook for about 30 minutes or more, stirring from time to time to prevent vegetables stick to the pan.
For the buckwheat:
- Bring 3 cups water with a pinch of salt to a boil in a pot or saucepan, with lid on. Add 2 cups of buckwheat, stir, and bring to boil again. Cover, and cook for 5 more minutes on medium heat.
- After 5 minutes, remove from the heat and let sit for about 20 minutes, still with lid on. And voilà, a perfect al dente grain!
- Divide buckwheat in each serving bowl, then add ratatouille and some fresh burrata. Sprinkle additional freshly ground black pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this French Ratatouille Bowl with Buckwheat and Burrata, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
