Briam (Greek Roasted Mixed Vegetables)

Briam is basically the Greek equivalent of ratatouille. A classic end-of-summer vegetable stew packed with hearty fresh produce: tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, sweet peppers and potatoes. In this version the veggies are roasted and cooked until they have released their juices and have melted into a stewy mix. It’s simple to make and also a delicious way to empty out your crisper. Although it’s most delicious and sweet using summer’s fresh produce, it’s a dish I crave and make all year round. It can be served as a meal tossed into pasta, served over creamy Parmesan polenta as pictured - or with loads of crusty bread, or it can be served as a side. Any way you have it you will enjoy this unfussy, versatile and forgiving dish.

How to make Briam - Greek Ratatouille?

A traditional ratatouille can be a bit labor intensive - it often requires long cooking times plus timing when you add each vegetable to the pan. This version is quite simple. The first step is to prep all your veggies. I like to cut them into larger pieces not sliced thin. Second the veggies get tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and aromatics then roasted until they are caramelized and melt into a stewy mix. With the exception of a quick stir halfway through cooking, the process is pretty much hands off.

This bright and chunky vegetable stew, is rich with olive oil and fragrant with garlic and herbs. It’s a quintessential example of the Mediterranean diet. Briam makes me think of summertime entertaining, big table filled with food including a large baking dish with these perfectly roasted veggies, a big ole salad, crusty bread, lots of feta to go around, maybe something off the grill, wine and family and friends enjoying a meal outdoors, relaxed and everything served family style.

Although it’s very much is a summertime dish it can be enjoyed all year round. For me stews are typical cold weather meals so I make this in the winter too. You can also use any vegetables you like. You can stick with the combo of veggies below or add and omit as you please. I love to use fresh garden tomatoes in the summer or canned in the winter - or whatever I might have on hand. I often use grape or cherry tomatoes as they add a nice sweetness to the overall dish but you can use a combination of a variety of tomatoes.

Many recipes for briam, also known as tourlou tourlou (which appropriately literally means ‘all mixed up’ in Greek) call for roasting the vegetables with the feta or another hard cheese over them but I personally am not a fan of making it that way. I like the vegetables to roast on their own and add cheese after. But if you want to roast the veggies with the cheese by all means! It’s perfect hot right out the oven or you can eat it room temperature or even cold.

Go ahead and give it a try! It’s simple to make and so wonderfully satisfying! Besides we all could use a few more portions of veggies in a day and this would definitely take care of that!