Vegetable Tian is a delicious veggie dish you can easily make with an array of beautiful vegetables, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, and eggplant. Just sprinkle with olive oil and herbs and then roast. Make it ahead of time!
The meaning of the word "Tian" has changed over the decades. Originally it meant an earthenware cooking vessel. Today the word means a dish of ingredients cooked in their own liquid.
The BEST thing about this side dish is that you can make it early in the day and serve it at room temperature. How Gr8 is that?!?! If you like roasted vegetables, you'll love this recipe. Some recipes sprinkle cheese on top; and you can certainly do that. But this recipe is light and, by default, just happens to also be vegan!
I originally made this side dish to accompany my Roast Chicken dinner for our Provence Gr8 Dinner Party.
When shopping for the zucchini, tomatoes, yellow squash and eggplant try to pick vegetables that are about the same diameter.
Serve this Vegetable Tian with:
- Roast Chicken - the perfect pair
- Leg of Lamb - these light veggies are a good counterpoint
- Roast Pork - a beautiful roast with a colorful side dish
- Phil's Smoked Brisket - something smoked and something fresh
- Mom's Roast Beef - gotta have vegetables with it!
Provençal Vegetable Tian
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 small onions, or 1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes
- 1 pound yellow squash
- 1 pound zucchini
- 1 1/2 pounds eggplant
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat.
- Add the sliced onions and red pepper and cook until translucent and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- While the onion mixture is cooking and cooling, slice the tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini and eggplant, about 1/4" thick. When buying the veggies, try to buy them about the same diameter.
- Put the onion mixture into the bottom of a gratin dish or an 8 1/2" x 11" dish and spread out.
- Set the sliced veggies on their sides, alternating the slices, a slice of eggplant, a slice of yellow squash, eggplant, and zucchini. Pack the slices tightly until the dish is filled.
- Drizzle the remaining 4 Tablespoons olive oil over the top. Liberally salt and pepper and sprinkle with the thyme.
- Bake for an hour.
Be a Gr8 Friend and tell us what you think!