Roasted Eggplant Bean Ragout
A warming Mediterranean-style ragout filled with roasted eggplant, tender sweet potatoes, cannellini beans, tomatoes, ginger and aromatic spices.
Equipment
- Large rimmed baking sheet
- large saucepan
- Measuring spoons
- Knife
- vegetable peeler
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant approximately 450 g
- 600 g sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 1 can diced tomatoes with liquid 425 g
- 1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed, approximately 240 g
- 240 ml water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 8 wedges.
- Brush the eggplant with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
- Sprinkle half of the sea salt over the eggplant.
- Arrange the wedges on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the sweet potatoes and chopped shallot.
- Cook for 5 minutes while stirring regularly.
- Add the garlic and ginger.
- Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the cumin, basil, cayenne, black pepper and remaining sea salt.
- Cut the roasted eggplant into bite-size pieces.
- Add the eggplant to the saucepan.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and their liquid.
- Add the water.
- Stir until combined.
- Bring the ragout to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the saucepan.
- Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the drained cannellini beans.
- Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Check that the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add a small amount of water if the ragout becomes too thick.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning when necessary.
- Divide the ragout among 4 bowls.
- Serve hot.
Notes & Wine Advice
Serving Suggestions
Serve the ragout on its own or accompany it with quinoa, brown rice or crusty bread. Fresh parsley, basil or a squeeze of lemon can be added immediately before serving.Recipe Notes
The nutritional values have been recalculated using approximately 600 g sweet potatoes, 450 g eggplant, 240 g drained cannellini beans and the complete quantity of olive oil. The final sodium level depends heavily on the canned tomatoes, beans and salt used. Rinsing the beans thoroughly helps reduce their sodium content.Variations
Add chopped courgette, mushrooms or red bell pepper for more vegetables. Replace the cannellini beans with chickpeas or butter beans. For a smokier flavour, replace the cayenne with smoked paprika. Vegetable broth can replace the water, although this will normally increase the sodium level.Storage
Allow the ragout to cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Refrigerate it for up to three days or freeze individual portions for up to three months. Reheat it in a saucepan until piping hot, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.Wine Advice
A light Pinot Noir complements the roasted eggplant, tomato and earthy beans without overpowering the spices. A dry Grenache-based rosé is a suitable lighter alternative.Nutrition values
Calories: 320 kcal | Carbohydrates: 56 g | Protein: 10 g | Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 760 mg | Sugar: 14 g