Vegetable Tian {French recipe}
My Vegetable Tian recipe: Simple, Delicious and Sunny
I don’t know about you, but I like to take a few liberties with traditional recipes. Vegetable tian is a simple Provençal dish made with eggplant, tomatoes, and sometimes zucchini, all carefully arranged in a dish and slowly baked in the oven. There’s no cheese in the classic version, it’s true. But this time, I wanted to revisit it a little, adding a gourmet touch: mozzarella.
Of course, if you don’t like mozzarella, you can easily substitute goat cheese for a more distinctive, yet equally melty result. Personally, I find that the cheese adds a subtle creaminess and a little twist that changes everything, without weighing down the dish. It’s always healthy, colorful, and full of flavor.
When it comes to cooking, I recommend taking your time. I bake it gently in the oven, a little longer than usual. This allows the vegetables to soften and release their flavors, making them perfectly tender. And between you and me, it’s even better the next day, gently reheated, when all the flavors have blended well.
The secret to a good tian? The quality of the ingredients and the earthenware dish. Ripe, sun-drenched vegetables, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and fresh or dried herbs, depending on what you have on hand. It’s simple, but it’s precisely this simplicity that makes Southern cuisine so magical. And don’t skimp on the seasoning!
If you’re looking for a tasty, easy-to-prepare dish that smells like summer, I highly recommend this vegetable tian with mozzarella. Let me know what you think!
Vegetable Tian {French recipe}
What is a vegetable tian?
A tian is made of sliced vegetables, usually thinly sliced, arranged in vertical layers in a shallow (earthenware) dish and then baked.
The ingredients you do need to make my homemade Tian:
- Eggplant: Choose a medium or small eggplant with smooth, shiny, and flawless skin.
- Zucchini: Choose smaller vegetables; they are much more flavorful and tender.
- Very ripe tomatoes, such as beefsteak tomatoes, with natural flesh and few seeds.
- One yellow or white onion.
- Fresh garlic cloves or garlic powder.
- Mozzarella cheese (optional). You can also substitute goat cheese if you prefer (note that the traditional Provençal Tian contains only vegetables and no cheese).
- Dry herbs (de Provence): I grind them into a powder.
- Good quality olive oil.
- Salt and pepper.
Other summer recipes you might like:
Vegetable Tian {French recipe}
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 1 zucchini
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 or 3 garlic cloves
- 1 Mozzarella or 100 g of Goat cheese
- Dry herbs (Herbs of Provence)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Start by preparing your ingredients.Wash and dry your vegetables, then slice them into rounds about 0.5 cm thick.Peel the onion and slice it into rounds about 0.5 cm thick.
- Arrange the vegetables in several layers, alternating between each vegetable and the onion.
- Preheat your oven to 170°C (350°F).
- In a terracotta dish, drizzle with olive oil and press the garlic cloves.Spread the garlic flesh over the surface of the dish.
- Arrange the piles of vegetables vertically, one behind the other, until you run out.The vegetable slices should be visible.
- Slice your cheese and spread it over the vegetables.
- Season with herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper, and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes in the middle of the oven.After this time, remove the foil and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes, keeping an eye on your tian.
- Remove your baking dish and let it cool slightly before serving.
I was looking for the name of this dish and this led me to this Blog. I was introduced to it by a dear french friend who has died too young. So I could not ask her to remind me of the name. But it is the dish. I have cooked it many times. I guess like all traditional recipes there are many variations for instance i don’t use zucchini in this. Why not 5 stars? Ah!, because I have to add that stuffing basil in between the tomato and fresh mozzarella is a beautiful additional ingredient . I love this blog. Great recipes, great pictures and great commentary.
Thank you for the inspirational blog. Tim.
Thank you for your comment.
There are indeed always many variations of recipes, even traditional ones. For example, tian doesn’t usually contain mozzarella.
Excellent idea with the basil leaves! It must give the dish a delicious taste.
Thank you and see you soon! I hope you find other recipe ideas… 😉