Vegan Salad Recipes: Oven Baked Ratatouille Salad

Last Friday was my boyfriend's birthday. I was going to make a reservation at a nice restaurant, but he requested that we do a picnic in Central Park instead. I instantly thought of the "picnics" we did in Paris--a lot of them inside our apartment for the week, with fresh baguette, jam, and cold salads, plus wine. One of the salads I wanted to make was this oven baked ratatouille salad, which was so good when I tasted it that I broke my "no recipe" rule for special occasions and broke out my camera any way. The sweet, caramelized flavor of vegetables is brought out and deepened by the touch of balsamic vinegar, and the basil makes it so refreshing. It's complex yet simple (if that makes sense), incredibly delicious with or without a baguette.

Vegan Salad Recipes: Oven Baked Ratatouille Salad

Recipe Type: Allergen Free Detox Salads

YIELDS 4 servings

PREP TIME 15 min

COOK TIME 50 min

TOTAL TIME 01 hour 05 min

1 medium eggplant, 3/4
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 medium tomatoes, cut in large chunks
8-10 button or cremini mushrooms, quartered
8 baby zucchini, 1/2
10 asparagus, 2
1 tsp dried oregano
6-8 leaves of fresh basil, chiffonaded
1/4 cup olive oil
to taste sea salt and fresh black pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 medium eggplant, 3/4
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 medium tomatoes, cut in large chunks
8-10 button or cremini mushrooms, quartered
8 baby zucchini, 1/2
10 asparagus, 2
1 tsp dried oregano
6-8 leaves of fresh basil, chiffonaded
1/4 cup olive oil
to taste sea salt and fresh black pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. The most complicated step is washing and prepping all the vegetables. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375* F.
2. I didn’t line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper in order to get the veggies to caramelize (plus I had steel wool). If you wish, you may line the baking sheet with foil (parchment paper tends to steam, rather than roast).
3. Lay the eggplant on a large plate and salt generously. After about 10 minutes, wash the eggplant in water and dab dry with paper towel. This gets rid of any bitterness that might be present.
4. In a large bowl, toss eggplant and onions with 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Lay on the baking sheet as a single layer and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Repeat the oil coating process with tomatoes and mushrooms. Add them to the baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes.
5. Repeat the process with zucchini (may use regular zucchini) and asparagus. Salt and pepper generously and sprinkle with oregano. Bake for another 20-25 minutes until fragrant and caramelized.
6. Take out from the oven and let cool on the kitchen counter. When cool, add balsamic vinegar and basil and toss. Adjust salt to taste. Move to another container or bowl and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

(Oh and below, Manhattan skyline from Sheep’s Meadow in Central Park, where we picnicked. Cue “Empire State of Mind” by Alicia Keys).

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Photo: Peaceful Dumpling