Have you ever found yourself dreaming of the rustic, heartwarming charm captured in that beloved animated film? That feeling of authentic French cuisine, where everyday ingredients are elevated into something truly magical? We believe we’ve bottled that very essence. We’ve taken the spirit of the traditional Provençal stew and reimagined it into a smooth, flavourful, and deeply comforting Ratatouille Soup.

This is far more than just another vegetable soup; it’s a celebration of summer’s bounty, a nod to cherished cinema, and a wonderfully straightforward way to enjoy a meal packed with goodness. By first roasting the vegetables, we unlock a remarkable depth of sweet, caramelised flavour that makes this soup absolutely unforgettable. It’s the ideal recipe for transitioning between seasons, offering warmth on a cool evening or served chilled on a sunny day. Let’s create some culinary magic in your kitchen.

What Exactly Is Ratatouille Soup?

In essence, Ratatouille Soup is the beautifully blended counterpart to the classic French dish. Hailing from the Provence region, ratatouille is a rustic stew of summer vegetables like courgette, aubergine, bell peppers, and sun-ripened tomatoes, gently simmered with garlic, onions, and aromatic herbs. It is a dish created to showcase the best of the harvest.

Our soup recipe embraces all these fundamental elements, transforming their texture while amplifying their taste. Instead of serving distinct vegetable pieces, we roast them until tender before blending them into a velvety, luxurious soup. This method draws out the inherent sweetness of the peppers and tomatoes and imparts a rich, creamy quality to the aubergine. It’s a fantastic piece of movie inspired food, capturing the heart and soul of the dish that won over the film’s harshest critic, but presented in a fresh, approachable format. It is at once elegant and comforting, making it a versatile addition to any meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Incredibly Flavourful: Our secret lies in roasting the vegetables. This simple step caramelises their natural sugars, which creates a deep, sweet, and subtly smoky flavour profile that you simply cannot get from simmering alone.
• Nutrient-Packed Goodness: This soup is a vibrant bowl of health, brimming with the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in fresh vegetables. It’s a delightful way to reach your five-a-day and a superb example of a healthy vegan soup.
• Wonderfully Versatile: Serve it piping hot on a brisk day with a side of crusty bread for dipping, or enjoy it chilled like a gazpacho when the weather is warm. It’s perfect as a light lunch, a sophisticated starter, or a hearty main dish.
• Simple and Forgiving: While it boasts a gourmet taste, this recipe is remarkably easy to execute. The process mainly involves chopping and roasting, letting the blender handle the final step. No complicated techniques are needed!
• Reduces Food Waste: If you have some vegetables in your fridge that are a little past their prime, this soup offers them a delicious new purpose, transforming them into something wonderful.

Ingredients

• 2 medium courgettes, chopped into 2cm chunks
• 1 large aubergine, chopped into 2cm chunks
• 2 red bell peppers, deseeded and chopped
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 (400g) tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 small bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Optional: 1 tsp balsamic vinegar for acidity

How to Make Ratatouille Soup: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating this delightful soup is a simple and rewarding experience. The aroma of the vegetables roasting in the oven is a treat in itself! Follow our straightforward steps to achieve a perfect result every time.

1. Roast the Vegetables

   First, preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6). On a large baking tray, spread out the chopped courgettes, aubergine, bell peppers, and red onion. Tuck in the whole garlic cloves. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle over the dried thyme, rosemary, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss everything together, ensuring all the vegetables are evenly coated. Roast for 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are soft and beautifully caramelised at the edges. This is the key step for building a deep, rich flavour.

2. Sauté the Base

   As the vegetables are roasting, heat the final tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the tomato purée and cook for a minute, stirring continuously. This simple action cooks off the raw flavour and enhances its richness.

3. Combine and Simmer

   When the vegetables are perfectly roasted, carefully transfer them, including the soft, sweet garlic, into your saucepan. Pour in the tinned chopped tomatoes and the vegetable stock. Stir well to combine, bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat, cover with a lid, and allow it to simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. This gives all those gorgeous flavours a chance to meld together.

4. Blend to Silky Perfection

   Take the saucepan off the heat. Add most of the fresh basil leaves, keeping a few aside for a garnish. Using an immersion blender, carefully blitz the soup directly in the pot until it reaches a completely smooth and velvety consistency. If you’re using a standard blender, allow the soup to cool slightly first. Blend it in batches, never filling the jug more than halfway, to prevent steam from building up dangerous pressure.

5. Season and Serve

   Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. For an extra layer of brightness and complexity, we highly recommend stirring in a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar right at the end. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining basil leaves, a final swirl of extra virgin olive oil, and maybe a few crunchy croutons. Enjoy!

Tips for the Perfect Soup

Are you ready to take your Ratatouille Soup from delicious to truly exceptional? Here are some of our best professional tricks.

• Don’t Crowd the Pan: For the best results when roasting, arrange the vegetables in a single layer on your baking tray. If they’re overcrowded, they will steam rather than roast, and you’ll lose that vital caramelisation. It’s better to use two trays if you need to.
• Use Quality Tomatoes: Since tomatoes are a cornerstone of the soup’s flavour base, opting for a good-quality brand of tinned tomatoes will make a significant difference to the final taste.
• Fresh Herbs Are Key: While dried herbs are excellent for the roasting stage, adding fresh basil just before you blend introduces a vibrant, aromatic burst that truly elevates the whole dish.
• For Extra Creaminess: If you’d like a richer, creamier texture without adding any dairy, we suggest adding a peeled and diced potato to the roasting tray with the other vegetables. This is a clever tip we’ve borrowed from some of our favourite potato leek soup variations, as the potato’s starch lends a wonderful creaminess to the finished soup.

Delicious Serving Suggestions

This soup is certainly a star in its own right, but it also pairs wonderfully with many different accompaniments. It’s a brilliant foundation for a variety of vegetable soup recipes and can be easily adapted for any occasion. For a classic, comforting meal, we think nothing beats a bowl of this soup served with a chunk of warm, crusty bread. It also works beautifully alongside a starter like our Classic French Onion Soup for a complete French-inspired menu.

To add extra protein and substance, try stirring in a scoop of cooked quinoa or a tin of cannellini beans after blending. If you’re planning another robust vegan dish, a smaller portion of this soup serves as a perfect starter for a main like our Hearty Lentil Stew. You can discover more about the history of the dish that inspired our soup over at BBC Good Food.

FAQ

A Bowl of Comfort You’ll Make Again and Again

And there we have it—a simple, sophisticated, and incredibly flavourful Ratatouille Soup that brings the rustic charm of the French countryside to your dining table. It stands as a wonderful example of how humble vegetables, when given a little attention, can be transformed into something truly spectacular. This recipe offers more than just a meal; it’s a bowl of pure comfort, a boost of nutrition, and a piece of cinematic magic all in one.

We encourage you to gather your vegetables and give this gorgeous soup a go. We’re certain it will quickly become a cherished recipe in your household. We would love to know what you think, so please do leave a comment and a rating below to share your experience with our community!

Meta Description: Capture the magic of Provence with our easy and delicious Ratatouille Soup recipe! This healthy, vegan soup is packed with roasted vegetables and herbs. A perfect comforting meal for any season.

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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium courgettes, chopped into 2cm chunks
• 1 large aubergine, chopped into 2cm chunks
• 2 red bell peppers, deseeded and chopped
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 (400g) tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 small bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Optional: 1 tsp balsamic vinegar for acidity

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C Fan). On a large baking tray, toss the courgettes, aubergine, bell peppers, red onion, and whole garlic cloves with 2 tbsp of olive oil, dried thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes until soft and caramelised.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
3. Transfer the roasted vegetables to the saucepan. Add the tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and add most of the fresh basil. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until completely smooth and velvety.
5. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Stir in the balsamic vinegar (if using). Serve hot, garnished with the remaining basil leaves and a swirl of olive oil.

Nutrition (per serving):
220 calories,
28g carbs,
5g protein,
11g fat