Caribbean Ratatouille (Ital Vegetable Stew)
A hearty plant-based stew featuring eggplant, chayote, bell peppers, okra, leafy greens, and coconut milk, this one-pot Caribbean ratatouille is comfort food with island flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium eggplant cubed
- 1/2 green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 5-8 okra sliced into 1/2‑inch rounds
- 2-3 cups Swiss chard chopped
- 2 cups Jamaican callaloo chopped
- 1/2 Scotch Bonnet pepper green, sliced, optional
- 4 medium tomatoes diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 sprigs thyme leaves only
- 2 sprigs basil leaves only
- 1 medium chayote christophene, peeled and cubed
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon parsley chopped
Instructions
- Toss eggplant cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let sit 30 minutes to draw out moisture. Rinse and pat dry.
- Deseed and cube the chayote.
- Preheat oven to 400 °F.
- In batches, fry eggplant with 1 tablespoon olive oil in oven-proof pan for 5–7 minutes until golden. Set aside.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Sauté chayote and bell peppers on medium-low for 2 minutes. Add celery, onions, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, tomato paste, black pepper, tomatoes, thyme, basil, okra, Swiss chard, callaloo, and Scotch Bonnet. Mix well.
- Return eggplant to pan. Drizzle coconut milk on top. Stir to combine.
- Bake in oven for 20–25 minutes until vegetables are tender. Remove, taste for salt, and top with fresh parsley and additional basil leaves before serving.
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