I’m not sure why I always through crumbles needed to be sweet. Is it because I’m usually eating them weekly smack dab in the middle of summer? Probably. But last month in Paris we stopped by a lovely little shop and café for lunch where Adam ordered a Zucchini Crumble, a small dish of tender eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and onions topped with a savory buttery topping and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Its simplicity astounded me, its flavor surprised me. And the door to enjoying a different type of crumble was opened and we’re already looking forward to repeating this dish with autumn’s delicious butternut squash or even tender roasted root veggies. It’s simple, satisfying, and makes a wonderful lunch.
Vegetable Crumble
5 cups mixed vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant), chopped rough, ½ inch
3 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of pepper
butter for greasing pan
Crumble Topping:
½ cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ cubes
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon cold water
Heat oven to 375˚ F. Mix vegetables, tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place in a greased 9 by 9 inch baking dish or in individual gratin dishes.
In a bowl, mix the flour, butter, salt, pepper, and thyme and rub the mixture together with your hands. It should be crumbly and sandy, not overly mixed. Sprinkle the water over the mixture and blend with a fork.
Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the vegetables and cook for 1 hour or until the vegetables are soft and the crumble topping is golden brown. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve hot.


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Matt,
This looks great!
I love the pans in this picture. Where did you find them?
Thanks,
Maxine
Hello Maxine! The vintage enamelware skillets came from an antique shop in Wisconsin but I’m sure you can find something similar on ebay! I love them.
Hello Raaj, the pans underneath are from ABC Carpet and Home in NYC, the entire surface is a piece of leather from the Porte de Clignancourt flea market in Paris.
Tried this last week and LOVED it! Great recipe! Found your blog via K&L. Thanks!
Thanks Bob! Glad you loved it, it’s pretty delicious, aint it?
Matt,
I am always looking for new ways to cook vegetables.
This one very unique. thx.
just did with root veggies and a touch of sage my thyme is gone . its great thanks but now me and one and three year old are fighting over fightin over the last few bites
The idea of a vegetable crumble is simply splendid: genial and simple at the same time! I’m so fond of crumbles but I had never thought they could be made with veggies (meat or fish, also). They’d always been sweet in my mind. I thank you so much for posting this one!! It gave me the idea for a sunchoke and leek savory crumble that was amazing!
BTW, the picture is great! I don’t know why but the whole set looks so Moroccan. Maybe it wasn’t intended to be so, but the result is exotically charming.
My husband and I just came back from a week in Paris where savory crumbles were everywhere! I was like: “what is going on here?” We loved the several ones that we sampled and I am determined to try to recreate them at home. Thanks so much for this helpful guide.
I’m new to using eggplant and have seen instances where it’s recommended to soak or salt it – is there any preparation beyond peeling & chopping needed for this?
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