Vegetable Tian is a gorgeous vegetarian side dish. Make it with summer vegetables or try one with winter root vegetables. Add parmesan or goat cheese, too!
Have you ever seen a simple vegetable side dish with zucchini, squash, onion, eggplant, tomatoes and herbs that looked as gorgeous as this vegetable tian??
Maybe you have, but I know it didn’t come out of my kitchen! Of course, I think that roasted vegetables of any kind are pretty on their own, but they’re typically not arranged into a pattern of any kind.
A simple, vegetarian side dish that tastes as gorgeous as it looks? It’s perfect for all occasions, from summer barbecues to holiday meals. I’ve made this dish for just about every occasion I can think of.
What is a Tian?
A tian (pronounced tyan) is both the name of a French recipe and the shallow earthenware French Provençal dish it’s cooked in.
The vegetables are baked on top of an onion and garlic base and seasoned often seasoned with herbs, resulting in a delicious yet healthy vegetable side dish or main course. Common vegetables used in tian include zucchini, tomatoes, onions, eggplant, and potatoes, but there are many variations with other seasonal vegetables.
The goes directly from the oven to the table and is roughly equivalent to the size of a 9-inch pan, although it comes in different shapes. A traditional tian dish is glazed on the inside but not the outside. The dish itself is made with sliced vegetables that are placed on their sides and lined up “domino-style”.
This results in a gorgeous presentation and a healthy, delicious side dish. I found an example of a tian dish currently being sold from a pottery maker; in case you’d like to have it for reference.
Tian Dish
I used a 9-inch round baking dish, and any shallow 8 or 9-inch baking, pie, or casserole dish, or gratin will work well. Additionally, an 8×8 or a similar-sized dish can also be used for this recipe.
Tips for Making a Vegetable Tian
- Salt your vegetables generously before assembling and allow them to sit for 20-30 minutes at room temperature. This will draw out some of the moisture, preventing the dish from becoming watery.
- Make small stacks in the order you’ll be arranging the vegetables, then add each stack all at one time. This makes assembling the tian much quicker. The slices in each stack should be as close as possible to the same size.
- Save the smaller slices for the middle of the tian. They’ll tuck in much easier and the final vegetable tian will look much more uniform.
- Choose vegetables that are as similar in size as possible.
Summer Vegetable Tian Variations
- Root Vegetable Tian: Although this particular recipe calls for vegetables that are typically in abundance during the summertime, the dish works well year-round! It’s particularly lovely as a side dish for a holiday meal. Try it with winter root vegetables, such as beets, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. Replace the Italian seasoning with finely chopped rosemary and thyme for a more winter-themed flavor.
- Mediterranean Vegetable Tian: Add a Mediterranean twist on this dish with eggplant, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and red onion and season with balsamic vinegar, basil leaves, oregano, and thyme.
- Vary the Cheese: Instead of parmesan, sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese immediately after removing from the oven. I’ve also done this with blue cheese and it’s very good.
- Add Potatoes: Increase baking time and add sliced potatoes and bake until the potatoes are tender. Purple potatoes would really make this dish pop!
- Fresh mozzarella: A mozzarella slices between each “stack” – it’s delicious.
Summer Vegetable Tian
Vegetable Tian is a gorgeous vegetarian side dish. Make it with summer vegetables or try one with winter root vegetables. Add parmesan or goat cheese, too!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 large yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 small eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 small tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 tsp coarse salt, divided
- 2 medium white potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the sliced zucchini, squash, eggplant, and tomatoes on a large sheet pan or cutting board, allowing as much of their surface to be exposed as possible. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of the salt and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tsp of the oil and, when it's shimmering, add the onions. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until they're soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
- Gently wipe off any water that's accumulated on the surface of the vegetables and pat them dry.
- Using a shallow round 8 or 9-inch baking dish, pie pan, or similarly sized baking dish, spread the sautéed onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish
- Arrange the vegetable slices, along with the sliced potato, on their sides "domino-style", reserving the smaller pieces for the inside of the tian. You can also do this easily by making "stacks" of the same size of each vegetable (ie. one slice each of potato, tomato, zucchini, eggplant, and squash of the same size, then add that stack all at once to the dish). Continue until the pan is full and all of the slices have been used.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the vegetables, then sprinkle the remaining salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Put back in the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through. Serve immediately.
Notes
Cut the potatoes last, just before assembling, or place them in a bowl filled with cold water while the other vegetables sweat for 30 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 147Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 474mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 5g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
Looking for more side dish ideas? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Creamed Corn (2 recipes – both with and without cream)
- Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri
- Green Beans Almondine
- Smashed Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan
- Easy Mushroom Risotto with Gorgonzola
- Smoked Cream Cheese - May 14, 2024
- Caprese Bites Appetizer Recipe - March 10, 2024
- Bruschetta Caprese Recipe - March 6, 2024