Vegetable Tian
Why can’t vegetables be plentiful and yummy all year long? I don’t know, but I intend to enjoy them while they’re around. This Vegetable Tian is the perfect easy side to showcase the medley of delicious vegetables the summer has to offer.
“I made the vegetable tian today for the first time. Since it is summer, zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes are abundant at farmers markets. The recipe was easy to make and the results were delicious.”
LIZ
EASY VEGETABLE TIAN RECIPE
I like to enjoy the natural, subtle flavors of vegetables. I’m not all for frying or smothering with thick, rich sauces, but sometimes I want something a little more. This vegetable tian lands halfway between both worlds. The vegetables are sliced thin, seasoned only with a little salt, pepper, and thyme, and then topped with just a small amount of flavorful cheese. Roasting the vegetables magnifies their flavor and gives them just a hint of sweetness. It’s veggietastic.
Creamy cheeses work really well with this dish but I happened to have a four cheese Italian blend on hand so I used that.
RECIPE TIPS AND VARIATIONS
- Fresh is best. Due to the high moisture content of these vegetables, I do not recommend freezing this dish. If you are looking to get a head start, you can cut the vegetables a day or two beforehand, but season just before baking so they don’t get mushy.
- Salt the vegetables. If you find your vegetables are getting too soggy, some readers have suggested salting them and letting them sit for 15-30 minutes, and then rinsing them and adding them to the baking dish.
- Change up the flavor. I used thyme to season the vegetables, but any herb will work. You can use basil, oregano, or rosemary. You can also swap the cheese for what you’ve got on hand.
Summer Vegetable Tian
Cost $6.68 recipe / $1.11 serving
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion (medium, $0.70)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced, $0.16)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
- 1 zucchini (medium, ¼ inch slices, $1.10)
- 1 yellow squash (medium, ¼ inch slices, $1.10)
- 1 medium potato (medium, ¼ inch slices, $0.75)
- 1 tomato (medium, ¼ inch slices $0.97)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
- 1 cup Italian blend cheese (shredded, $1.40)
- 1 Tbsp chopped parsley (optional garnish, $0.08)
- salt (to taste, $0.05)
- black pepper (freshly cracked, to taste, $0.05)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté the onion and garlic with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent (about 5 minutes).
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While the onion and garlic are sautéing, slice the zucchini, yellow squash, tomato, and potato thinly (¼ inch slices). Make sure the potatoes are very thin so that they soften quickly while in the oven.
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Coat the inside of an 8×8″ casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread the sautéed onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Arrange the other sliced vegetables, stacked vertically like dominos, in an alternating pattern. Season the top of the vegetables generously with salt, pepper, and dried thyme.
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Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the shredded cheese, and bake without the foil for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. Top with chopped fresh parsley for garnish, if desired.
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Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make a Vegetable Tian Step-By-Step Photos
Preheat the oven and sauté the aromatics: Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF. Dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Sauté the onion and garlic with 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until soft and transparent.
Transfer to a baking dish: Place the sautéed onion and garlic in the bottom of an 8×8 (or similar size) casserole dish.
Slice the vegetables: Slice the vegetables into ¼ inch thick slices. The tomato and potato had very large diameters compared to the squash, so I cut them in half before slicing to make them a more similar size.
Arrange the vegetables: Layer the potato, zucchini, yellow squash, and tomato in the dish over the onion and garlic in an alternating pattern. It doesn’t need to be pretty, just squeeze them in there any way you can.
Season the vegetables: Season the top of the vegetables generously with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.
Add cheese: After baking for 30 minutes, remove the foil and top with about 1 cup of shredded Italian blend cheese. Return the Summer Vegetable Tian to the oven (without the foil) and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Garnish and serve: Top with a little fresh chopped parsley for garnish, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
STORAGE AND REHEATING
Store leftover tian in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave. Note that the vegetables may be a little softer after they’ve been refrigerated.
I don’t recommend freezing this tian as the texture will not be the same.
Serving Suggestions
These gorgeous cheese-topped veggies go with loads of different mains, but I especially like eating them with this quick lemon garlic fish or blackened tilapia. They also go well with simple chicken dishes like baked chicken drumsticks or creamy garlic chicken. If I am looking for a vegetarian option, I’ll prepare a curry chickpea salad.
