Let’s dive into today’s Instant Pot ratatouille recipe that showcases a fresh and colorful summer’s bounty.

This ratatouille is the same healthy, vegan, and light-tasting delicacy that we’re all familiar with but simpler and quicker to make. Thanks to the help of the Instant Pot, this quintessential French dish with its soul-warming flavors now requires only one-third of the time it normally takes in the oven!

Is Instant Pot Ratatouille Healthy?

Ratatouille is a rustic delicacy that originated in the South of France. It’s traditionally a stew made with seasonal vegetables of choice.

Nowadays, there are endless variations of ratatouille — one of which is the classic version of beautifully-layered sliced veggies that inspired the famous Disney movie.

For today’s Instant Pot ratatouille recipe, we will be making a veggie medley of eggplant, zucchini, tri-colored bell peppers, and tomatoes. On the whole, it’s a low-carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free, and vegan instant pot vegetable stew recipe that’s packed full of rich and tasty flavors.

So yes, it’s certainly healthy!

What Does Ratatouille Taste Like?

Our Instant Pot ratatouille is a stew of chopped vegetables infused with herbs and spices through the pressure cooking method.

The zucchini and eggplants remain bright and earthy, but now, thanks to the Instant Pot, the seasonings can become even more concentrated. As a result, you’ll get bold, herby, and aromatic touches from the spice mix without compromising the natural tastes of the vegetables.

What Is in This Ratatouille?

No matter what cooking and preparation you use for each adaptation, a ratatouille should always include eggplant, bell peppers, and zucchini.

In Instant Pot ratatouille, the Instant Pot guarantees tender vegetables and avoids making them soggy, mushy, or watery. Despite the shorter cooking time, the original flavor remains intact.

Eggplant: Deep purple eggplants with shiny skin, no bruises, and no blemishes are the best to buy. There’s no need to peel them, just cube them and combine.
Zucchini: Similar to eggplants, zucchinis with shiny skin are the vedettes for this dish. Here we opted for both the dark green and the bright yellow varieties.
Tomatoes: The traditional-style ratatouille always calls for fresh tomatoes, though canned ones can still work wonderfully. When using fresh tomatoes, you may need to drain them beforehand if they release a lot of liquid after being chopped up. Tomato paste and a homemade tomato sauce can also be added to give this dish more pronounced flavors.
Onions: The onions will possibly disintegrate during the pressure cooking, so we suggest sautéeing them in oil before stewing. By doing so, the onions will caramelize and add a hint of smoky flavor to your ratatouille.
Herbs and spices: Along with garlic, salt, paprika, Dijon mustard, and thyme in this recipe, feel free to go for a mix of spices and herbs of your choice. You can also use dried herbs instead of fresh ones for convenience and vary their proportions to your taste. Don’t forget to add fresh basil and grated cheese for a lovely finishing touch.

How to Cook Ratatouille in an Instant Pot

Let’s dive into today’s Instant Pot ratatouille recipe with fresh and colorful summer goodness by following these 6 simple steps!

Sauté garlic and onion in olive oil and butter.

Add tomato paste.

Add homemade tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.

Add the vegetables and spices. Cook on the “Meat/Stew” setting.

Turn the steam release valve to depressurize. Remove the lid.

step 6: Stir half the chopped fresh basil into the ratatouille. Turn off the Instant Pot

Stir half the chopped fresh basil into the ratatouille. Turn off the Instant Pot and portion it out and onto serving platters.

Portion it out onto serving platters. Garnish and enjoy hot.

How to Store and Reheat the Leftover Ratatouille

The leftover instant pot ratatouille can keep well for up to 5 days if stored properly in the fridge in an airtight container. In the freezer, it can last up to 3 months.

Ratatouille has always been an ideal choice for meal-prepping, no matter the style in which it’s prepared. It can be served either hot or cold. You can enjoy it at room temperature, serve it chilled straight from the fridge, or warm it up in the Instant Pot after refrigerating.

For more instant pot recipe ideas, have a look at our easy instant pot dinner roundup.

What to Eat with Instant Pot Ratatouille

Ratatouille can be served in so many ways. It can make either an appetizer or a side to complement a sumptuous main dish.

Here are some helpful ideas for how to serve this Instant Pot ratatouille:

Alongside roasted/grilled chicken or lamb.
With shredded chicken or steamed fish.
Over pasta, quinoa, polenta, etc…
With crusty bread ( possibly with goat cheese to make it a toasted crostini), no-yeast bread, flatbread, or naan bread.
Practically with any kind of rice.
Over Shakshuka or butter-basted eggs.
With Tofurky sausages, pan-fried tofu, veggie burgers, or chickpea patties to make it a fully vegan meal.

But Wait, There’s More!

Besides this tasty Instant Pot Ratatouille recipe, we also have several amazing other side dish recipes that we would like you to try. They’re easy to follow and strictly comply with our guidelines: