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Remi's Ratatouille Soup

Remi's ratatouille soup is a vibrant Provençal-style vegetable broth simmered until the eggplant, zucchini, and squash turn silky-tender. It’s built with crushed and diced tomatoes, herbs de Provence, and finished with fresh basil for a bright, aromatic bowl.
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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: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vegetables and aromatics
  • 2 eggplants Small; diced
  • 2 zucchini Diced
  • 2 yellow squash Diced
  • 2 red bell peppers Diced
  • 1 onion Diced
  • 6 garlic Minced
Tomato base and broth
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 4 cup vegetable broth
Seasonings
  • 3 tbsp olive oil 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
To serve
  • 0.01 parmesan Optional; for serving
  • 0.01 salt To taste
  • 0.01 black pepper To taste
  • 0.01 olive oil Additional drizzle, to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Salt and prep the vegetables
  1. Toss the diced eggplant with salt and let it sit 15 minutes, then rinse and dry thoroughly for better texture.
  2. Dice all remaining vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, red bell peppers, and onion) and mince the garlic so the soup cooks evenly.
Build the flavor base
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot (Dutch oven) over medium heat, then sauté the onion and bell peppers for 5 minutes until softened.
  2. Add the garlic and eggplant, then cook for 5 minutes so the eggplant starts to mellow and the aromatics bloom.
  3. Add the zucchini and yellow squash, then cook for 3 minutes just to begin softening while keeping some bite.
Simmer and finish
  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 and the broth tastes fully seasoned.
  3. Stir in the fresh chiffonade basil, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and serve with optional parmesan.

Notes

For the best texture, don’t skip salting the eggplant—rinsing and drying helps prevent bitterness and keeps the soup from tasting watery. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months for make-ahead lunches. For a dairy-free option, omit parmesan at serving and add an extra drizzle of olive oil and a pinch more black pepper.