Chop up eggplant, zucchini, Roma tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion, throw them into the slow cooker with seasonings and tomato sauce, and come back in 5 hours for a mouthwatering stew. While it is not necessary, a quick stir halfway through cooking ensures the vegetables stay evenly moist. If you don’t have wheat berries or cannot eat gluten, serve the stew with another cooked whole grain, such as brown rice or quinoa, or enjoy it on its own.
By Nancy Macklin, RDN ,
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, cubed (6 cups)
- 2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, coarsely chopped (3 cups)
- 4 Roma tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped (1 cup)
- 2 8-oz. cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped (1½ cups)
- 1 onion, chopped (1 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves, halved
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups cooked wheat berries (2 cups dry)
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a 5- to 6-qt. slow cooker combine the first eight ingredients (through cayenne pepper).
- Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours (or high 2½ to 3 hours). Stir in half of the basil. Season with salt and black pepper. Serve with cooked wheat berries. Sprinkle with the remaining basil and serve with lemon wedges.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (1½ cups), 433 calories, 95 g carbohydrates, 17 g protein, 2 g total fat, 195 mg sodium, 23 g fiber, 18 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
I don’t have slow cooker. Can I put in pot and cook on low setting on stove? Love ratatouille and love this recipe doesn’t have oil.
Hi Joann,
Yes, you can cook this on the stove in a pot. If doing it this way, we recommend that you cook the onion and garlic first (with just enough water so it doesn’t stick), before adding the other ingredients called for in step 1.
I’m going to try with lentils or farro too
Yummy
What can I use instead of Eggplant?
Hi Ann,
Eggplant is traditionally an integral part of ratatouille, but you can just omit it and add extra zucchini/yellow squash to make up for it. Let us know how it goes!
Hey Grits Eaters,
Would this be good on grits or polenta?
Heck, yes! I can totally picture serving this over polenta.
This is SO delicious. I tried this recipe out a couple of weeks ago and it was a hit! The red bell pepper and basil are the power flavors of this dish. I’m now about to make it again for tonight’s dinner. 🙂
Looks awesome
trying this tonight.
Going to make tomorrow. Will buckwheat groats work in lieu of wheat berries?
Can you send me the instant pot version please?