Looking for that perfect healthy side dish? This Roasted Vegetable Recipe is just what you’re looking for! This easy cooking method is one of the best things that will happen to vegetables in your kitchen. Roasting vegetables in your oven gives them a caramelized exterior and flavor while keeping the inside moist and tender. With just a few seasonings, a bit of oil, and a hot oven, vegetables become delicious morsels. Flavors are intensified and concentrated ending with a sweetness that only roasting can create. The recipe we’ve shared welcomes the fall season, but be creative, try experimenting with different vegetable combinations.
Some vegetables especially benefit from roasting, such as onions, potatoes, carrots, beets, winter squash and other hearty dense root vegetables, but most vegetables will work. Tender vegetables, such as asparagus and mushrooms, also transform in the heat of the oven. Consider using roasted vegetables in other ways too. How about piled in a sandwich with a little feta or goat cheese, tossed with pasta, layered in lasagna, or mixed into soups, cooked rice, couscous, or quinoa. Delicious and what a great way to add extra nutrition to your meals!
A few tips to get you started:
– Use baking sheets with short sides and don’t overcrowd vegetables. This allows vegetables to brown and develop a wonderful crispness to their edges. Too close together and the vegetables will steam and not caramelize as well.
– Give the vegetables a stir or two during roasting; they’ll roast more evenly, stay coated with oil and won’t dry out.
– Roasting time will depend on the vegetable. If mixing slow- and quick-roasting vegetables together, cut the slow-roasting, (denser) ones in smaller pieces than the quick-roasting ones so they’ll all be done at the same time.
– Roast vegetables with a few sprigs of fresh sturdy herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, or thyme (or you can use about a teaspoon dried).
– Stir in soft, leafy herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, or dill, after the vegetables are cooked.
– Sprinkle with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 10 to 15 minutes before the end of roasting.
Roasted Root Vegetables
2-3 potatoes, any type
5-6 carrots, approx. ¾ -1 lb. total, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
2 large yellow peppers, cored and seeded, sliced into 1” wide cubes
2 large red peppers, cored and seeded, sliced into 1” wide cubes
1 red onion, cut into 1” wedges
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoons fresh rosemary or thyme (or 1 tsp. dried) as desired, optional
Combine all vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; spread in a single layer across roasting pan. Roast in preheated 400 degree F. oven for approx. 45 minutes, stirring at least once, halfway through cooking time.