Making something delicious from leftovers is one of life’s small triumphs. This Ratatouille Soup transforms the unused ends of your ratatouille vegetables into a luscious, creamy, and healthy soup that doesn’t taste like leftovers at all.
This soup is a perfect example of resourceful cooking: saving food, saving money, and producing something comforting and nutritious. If you’ve ever ended up with a collection of slightly less attractive vegetable ends after making ratatouille, this recipe is for you. It’s also easy to scale and forgiving about exact quantities—just use what you have on hand.
Quick method for turning leftovers into Ratatouille Soup: gently fry a tablespoon of olive oil, add your leftover vegetables and cook for a few minutes. Stir in red lentils (about 1 tablespoon per person), cover with hot stock and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the lentils are very soft. Blend until smooth with a hand blender, then stir in grated cheese, salt and pepper. Portion the soup into bowls, top with a spoonful of leftover ratatouille if you have it and a sprinkle of cheese, then chill for lunch the next day or serve immediately.
The Ratatouille Soup Recipe:
Ratatouille Soup
Ingredients
Soup:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ large courgette / zucchini, chopped
- ½ regular butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped
- ½ red onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 4 tbsp red lentils, rinsed
- 1 litre (1 3/4 pints) hot chicken or vegetable stock (use bouillon powder for gluten-free)
- 80 g strong cheddar cheese, grated
- A pinch of salt and pepper
Garnish:
- Leftover ratatouille veg (optional)
- 20 g strong cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
- Add the courgette/zucchini, butternut squash and red onion. Cook on medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomatoes and lentils, stir well and cook for a further minute.
- Pour in the hot stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, until the lentils are very soft.
- Remove the pan from the heat and blend the soup until smooth using a stick blender or in batches in a food processor.
- Stir in the grated cheddar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide between four bowls and, if using, top each portion with a spoonful of leftover ratatouille and the remaining grated cheese.
Notes
The soup can be eaten immediately, or cooled quickly, covered and refrigerated. Eat within 2 days. Reheat on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot.
You can also freeze this soup for up to 2 months. Defrost completely before reheating.
Nutrition (per serving)
Serving: 357 g | Calories: 289 kcal | Carbohydrates: 34 g | Protein: 13.2 g | Fat: 12.9 g | Saturated Fat: 5.9 g | Cholesterol: 26 mg | Sodium: 171 mg | Fiber: 8.8 g | Sugar: 7.6 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Nutritional info based on 4 servings and does not include the ratatouille topping. Adding one quarter of the ratatouille (without feta croutons) split across four portions of soup will add roughly 50 calories per serving.