Name: Vegan Tian (Zucchini + Eggplant)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 medium zucchini; 1 medium Japanese eggplant; 1 small red onion; 3-4 medium Roma tomatoes; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar; 4 cloves garlic; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon dry oregano; ¼ teaspoon dry basil; black pepper ((to taste)); 2 tablespoons olive oil

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5 from 1 vote. Leave a review!

While this vegan tian recipe looks fancy, it’s quite simple to make with ingredients you probably have on hand! It’s surprisingly quick to prepare and creates a flavorful side dish that’s perfect for using up you summer vegetables.

While some people may call this recipe ratatouille, a true ratatouille dish is made by stewing chopped vegetables in a tomato-based sauce, not roasting them in the oven! Not that it matters what you call it; these roasted summer veggies are amazingly delicious either way.

Round ceramic baking dish filled with thinly sliced, roasted vegetables sitting on white-grey marble background. Piece of ripped baguette, small jar of olive oil and sprig of an herb in the back left.

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What is Tian? Is it Vegan?

Tian is traditionally a French dish of layered vegetables that are baked, sometimes with a sauce but often without. Sometimes people add breadcrumbs or cheese to the top. Many tian recipes have a vegan base but contain dairy (if the recipe uses cheese). However. it’s an easy recipe to make vegan without missing any flavor.

You can make tian with a wide variety of veggies, but it’s often made with summer vegetables like zucchini and tomato. Along with herbs, oil and other flavors, it’s a simple but delicious side dish!

Plate with two rows of layered roasted vegetables topped with an herb sprig along with sliced baguette stacked on the plate to the right. Wood board with folded brown towel on it, topped with a grey and white round baking dish, baguette and small jar of olive oil sits blurred in the back.

Vegan Tian Ingredients and Substitutions

This recipe uses simple ingredients that, when baked together, create a beautifully flavorful veggie side dish! I like to use:

Zucchini: Also known as summer squash, zucchini is a delicious, easy to prepare vegetable that works beautifully in tian. I use green zucchini but you can choose yellow summer squash or a combo of green and yellow for even more beautiful color!
Eggplant: While this is a French-inspired dish, I use Japanese eggplant since it’s easier to arrange the vegetables when they’re all the same width. If you can’t access skinnier eggplant varieties, regular globe eggplants work but you’ll need to quarter the large slices.
Tomato: For beautiful red color, lots of flavor and some helpful moisture content, tomatoes are a delicious summer vegetable to add to the tian layers. I select Roma tomatoes because they’re the same width as zucchini and skinny eggplants.
Onion: For plenty of flavor, onion is a great addition to the veggie layers. I love red onion for the color and flavor, but any type of onion works! Select a smaller onion that’s the same width as the other veggies or chop the onion slices into half-moon shapes.
Garlic: Minced garlic sprinkled over the tops of the veggie layers is the perfect choice for some delicious flavor!
Olive oil: Bring seriously satisfying flavor and healthy fats with olive oil on the bottom of the dish and drizzle some over the top. This prevents the veggies from sticking and keeps the tops from drying out.
Red wine vinegar: The secret to delicious roasted veggies is some acid, in this case, red wine vinegar. If you’ve ever made roasted vegetables and thought they’re missing something, there likely wasn’t any vinegar or citrus which truly brings out amazing flavor in baked vegetables. You could use white wine vinegar or even apple cider vinegar if you prefer.
Basil and oregano: For a depth of flavor, dried oregano and basil are great choices. You could use fresh herbs, but I recommend layering those into the veggie slices so they don’t dry or burn when roasting. Thyme, rosemary, marjoram or any other herb you enjoy can work in this recipe!
Salt and pepper: You can’t beat the classic flavor boosting abilities of salt and pepper.

Nicole stands behind a counter with a large wood cutting board in front of her and ingredients for vegan tian (zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, red onion, garlic, salt, pepper and small jars hidden behind the vegetables). Nicole is smiling, wearing a black t-shirt with her long brown hair in a side briad.

How to Make a Beautiful Vegan Tian

Tian is a beautiful dish that might look complicated and time-consuming to prepare. The first time I made tian, I was pleasantly surprised that this is not the case!

It’s quite simple to prepare because you’ll simply slice vegetables and arrange them in a baking dish.

Step 1: Slice Vegetables

Begin by washing your zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes. Peel the onion and garlic.

Mince the garlic, thinly slice the onion and, if it’s a wider diameter compared to the other vegetables, cut each slice in half (half-moon shape).

Next, thinly slice the zucchini and tomatoes. Try to make these slices an even width.

Finally, right before you arrange the tian, slice the eggplant. It browns quickly once cut, so slice it last or keep it in a large bowl covered with cold water.

Hands slicing a zucchini with one hand holding the zucchini and the other holding a yellow knife that hovers over the zucchini. Stacks of sliced zucchini on the cutting board with other ingredients around the board on a marble counter (eggplant, tomato, red onion, jars of oil and vinegar, salt and pepper).

Step 2: Arrange Vegetables

Once you’ve sliced all the veggies, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of your 8 or 9-inch round baking dish. Spread it around until you've fully covered the bottom with a thin layer of oil.

Then arrange your vegetable slices. I like to stack a section in my hand then transfer it to the dish, so the vegetables stand up on their edges.

Use any order you like to arrange the vegetables; I like zucchini, eggplant, tomato, zucchini, eggplant, tomato, onion.

Fill up the baking dish starting with a ring around the edges then a second ring in the center. If you can’t create a full ring in the center, just fill it up with the veggies.

Hands holding a row of sliced vegetables over a round, grey ceramic baking dish half full of sliced vegetables sitting on their edges (tomato, zucchini, eggplant and red onion). Sliced vegetables and other ingredients surround baking dish on marble counter.

Step 3: Add Flavoring

Once you’ve arranged the vegetables, add some additional flavors for the tian. Start with the red wine vinegar, drizzling it around the whole pan.

A hand pours red wine vinegar from a small jar over top of sliced vegetables arranged in a spiral pattern in a small round baking dish. Other ingredients surround the baking dish which sits on a wood board over a marble coutner.

Next, sprinkle minced garlic across the top, followed by dry oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Try to sprinkle it so each bite has some of these tasty ingredients.

Hands sprinkling chopped garlic over top of summer vegetable tian in round, grey ceramic baking dish; surrounded with other ingredients laid out on marble counter.

Lastly, drizzle olive oil across the top, working to coat the tops of your vegetables with oil.

Hands holding up a small, round, grey ceramic baking dish with rows of layered summer vegetables creating a spiral pattern. Leftover ingredients on wood cutting board under baking dish.

Step 4: Bake and Serve

Place the assembled tian into an oven preheated to 400 °F for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened and the tops become slightly crisp.

Serve the tian hot!

Hands holding handles of circular grey baking dish, tipping it on it's edge showing roasted vegetable slices that are arranged on their edges. Olive oil and bread on a wood board next to the baking dish.

How to Serve as a Balanced Vegan Meal

Tian is a delicious side dish that provides delicious veggies and healthy fats. To create a balanced vegan meal, add a source of plant-based protein and carbohydrates to this meal.

It’s common to serve tian with fresh sliced bread which is a great way to add carbohydrates. If this is all you want to eat with your tian, the meal will be lower in protein, but this is okay to do occasionally.

If you want some protein with the meal, serve along side some seitan, tofu, tempeh or legumes like chickpeas!

Tian vegetables also work great in a pasta dish. Toss the veggies and all their juices over some fresh cooked pasta with chickpeas for a delicious meal. This is great to serve hot or cold like a pasta salad! Some sunflower seed Parmesan on top is also delicious.

Circular grey ceramic baking dish filled with neatly arranged rows of thinly sliced zucchini, eggplant, tomato and red onion. Dish on white-grey marble counter top. Zucchini and eggplant visible in bottom left corner; two small tomatoes, garlic and lemon slices in top right corner; small jar of olive oil, an herb sprig and bit of red onion in top left corner.

Vegan Tian Variations

This vegan tian uses summer vegetables and is a great way to eat an abundance of produce available during summer months.

However, you can prepare tian with any types of vegetables you like. Why not try a winter vegetable tian with carrots, leeks and winter squash (like butternut)?! Or a root veggie tian filled with sweet potato, parsnips and turnip!

The cook time will vary depending on what vegetables you use. Root vegetables tend to take longer, so keep roasting your tian until the vegetables are tender.

You can also use any herbs or herb combinations you like!

Top view of a circular grey ceramic baking dish filled with rows of layered, thinly sliced zucchini, eggplant, tomato and red onion. Top left corner has small jar of olive oil and herb spring with baguette along the right edge of image, mostly cropped out. White-grey marble background.

How to Store Leftovers

To store leftovers, either cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or transfer contents to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

📖 Recipe

Square cropped image of a round ceramic baking dish filled with thinly sliced, roasted vegetables (tomato, zucchini, eggplant and onion)

Vegan Tian (Zucchini + Eggplant)

This vegan tian made with summer vegetables includes zucchini, eggplant, tomato and onion. Along with plenty of delicious flavoring ingredients, this is a tasty and nutritious vegan side dish that’s beautiful to serve and easy to make!

5 from 1 vote. Leave a review!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings Side dish servings

Calories 118 kcal

Cuisine French-inspired, Vegan

Equipment

Cutting board
Knife
Round baking dish

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini
1 medium Japanese eggplant
1 small red onion
3-4 medium Roma tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dry oregano
¼ teaspoon dry basil
black pepper (to taste)

To Grease Pan

2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Step 1: Slice Vegetables

To begin, wash and thinly slice your zucchini. Then wash and thinly slice tomatoes.
1 medium zucchini, 3-4 medium Roma tomatoes
Peel and slice the onion; if the onion diameter is larger than the other vegetables, it’s easiest to cut the slices in half (half-moon shape),
1 small red onion
Next, mince the garlic,
4 cloves garlic
Wash and slice the eggplant last. Eggplant turns brown quickly after slicing so be ready to assemble right away or keep the eggplant submerged in a large bowl of water.
1 medium Japanese eggplant

Step 2: Arrange Vegetables

Pour olive oil across the bottom of an 8-or-9-inch round baking dish. Spread your oil across the bottom.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Next, start arranging the vegetable slices. I like to form a stack in my hands then transfer to the baking dish. You can use any order to arrange the vegetables but I layer: zucchini, eggplant, tomato, zucchini, eggplant, tomato, onion.
Repeat until the baking dish is filled with vegetables.

Step 3: Add Flavoring

Sprinkle minced garlic across the top of the arranged vegetables.
4 cloves garlic
Pour red wine vinegar over the top of your veggies.
1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sprinkle dry oregano, dry basil, salt and black pepper over the veggies.
½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon dry oregano, ¼ teaspoon dry basil, black pepper
Next, drizzle some extra olive oil across the tops of your veggies.
2 tablespoons olive oil

Step 4: Bake and Serve

Place your tian into an oven preheated at 400 °F for 25-30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and their tops are slightly crisp.
Remove from the oven and serve hot!

Video

Notes

Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Side dish serving (⅙ of recipe)Calories: 118 kcalCarbohydrates: 8 gProtein: 2 gFat: 9 gSaturated Fat: 1 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 7 gSodium: 203 mgPotassium: 355 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 5 gVitamin A: 343 IUVitamin C: 13 mgCalcium: 23 mgIron: 1 mg

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