Vegetable Tian (French recipe)

This Provençal vegetable tian is one of my go-to summer recipes, I make it almost every week. It’s perfect alongside grilled meats, summer barbecues, or simply served with a little rice or creamy polenta. The recipe couldn’t be simpler, and it’s one of the best ways to showcase vegetables at their peak like zucchini, eggplant, and juicy ripe tomatoes.

Tian, Ratatouille, Confit Byaldi: What’s the Difference?

If you’ve seen the Pixar movie Ratatouille, you might be a bit confuse with all these dishes! They’re all from Provence in southern France, and while they share similar ingredients, the way they’re prepared (and how they look) is quite different.

• Provençal Tian: Thin slices of summer vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes) are arranged tightly in a baking dish, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with Herbes de Provence (a fragrant blend of dried rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sometimes basil). They’re baked until tender but keep their shape and bright colors.
• Traditional Ratatouille: The original Ratatouille is not the pretty layered dish from the movie. It’s a rustic vegetable stew where diced vegetables are slowly simmered with tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. For the best flavor, each vegetable is often cooked separately first, then combined at the end.
• Confit Byaldi: Created by chef Thomas Keller for the Ratatouille movie, this dish looks like a tian but has a layer of onion and tomato sauce underneath. The vegetables are baked low and slow on top of the sauce until they’re soft, fragrant, and perfect for soaking up with bread. Have a look at my Confit Byaldi recipe!

All three are delicious, but the vegetable tian is the quickest to prepare which is why it’s my personal summer favorite.

Recipe card

Vegetable Tian (French recipe)

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5 of 49 votes

The vegetable tian is a French classic dish from that not only looks great visually but is also an original way to serve summer vegetables.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Course Side dish

Cuisine French

Servings 4

Calories 247 kcal

Print Recipe

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 zucchini or 3 depending on the size
• ▢ 2 eggplants
• ▢ 8 tomatoes
• ▢ 3 cloves of garlic
• ▢ 1/3 cup olive oil (80 ml)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons of herbes de Provence see my recipe, or dried thyme and rosemary
• ▢ Salt
• ▢ Black Pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) for a convection oven, or 410–425°F (210–220°C) for a conventional oven.
• Slice the vegetables into thin, evenly sized pieces. Cut the eggplant slices in half to make layering easier.
• In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, minced garlic, and half of the herbs. Pour about 2 tablespoons of this mixture into the bottom of your baking dish.
  
• Arrange the vegetable slices in alternating layers of eggplant, zucchini (called courgette in the U.K. and France), and tomato — in neat rows for a rectangular dish, or in a circular pattern for a round dish.
  
• Drizzle the remaining herb-infused oil over the top. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the rest of the herbs.
  
• Cover the dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking for another 20–25 minutes, for a total cooking time of 40–45 minutes.
  
• Garnish with fresh thyme or basil just before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 935mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 761IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Tag @la.cuisine.de.geraldine on Instagram and let me know how it was!

What to Serve with a Vegetable Tian

For me, vegetable tian is a great classic of summer cooking: it goes just as well as a side dish as a main course.

• As a side: Pairs beautifully with grilled fish, roast chicken, or herb-crusted lamb.
• As a main: Serve warm with a slice of crusty bread, a little black olive tapenade, and a green salad. For a full Provençal spread, pair it with a pissaladière (an onion and anchovy tart).
• With grains or starches: For a vegetarian meal, try it with rice, quinoa, creamy polenta, or even polenta fries.

Tip: I love making it a day ahead and serving it at room temperature for a relaxed summer lunch—with a chilled glass of rosé, of course.

Variants and tips

Once you’ve mastered the vegetable tian technique, you can have fun adapting it and transforming it into an even more fancy dish!

• Add thin slices of potato between the vegetables for a heartier dish.
• Slip slices of mozzarella between the vegetables so it melts into the layers while baking.
• Use a mandoline to get perfectly thin, even slices.
• In winter, swap the summer vegetables for potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beets—it’s just as delicious and makes a beautiful presentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Provencal recipes

• The Classic Ratatouille Provençale
• Confit Byaldi, the recipe from the movie Ratatouille
• Black Tapenade
• Tomatoes à la Provençale
• Bouillabaisse (easy recipe)
• Baked chicken with Green Olives