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Roasted Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes[/caption]
One of the easiest, most versatile side dishes is roasted vegetables. You’d be amazed at what 20-40 minutes in the good ol’ oven can do to your veggies. We’re talking crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, warm, comforting, and nourishing real foods.
What could be better?! I almost always have a mixture of roasted veggies in our fridge, either prepared to roast or ready to reheat (a bonus for those who love leftovers).
The process of roasting coaxes out the sweetness of the vegetables, which caramelize when cooked.
But the great thing about roasting vegetables is that it’s simple. You wash, chop, mix in a little olive oil, garlic and salt, a few optional spices, and pop it in the oven on a baking sheet. Seriously, this is win-win for many reasons. 
Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots
Single vegetables work fantastically. In fact, you’ll see two variations of just one veggie below. But adding in a little spice or combining a few vegetables together make for interesting side dishes that can be a great addition to your meals. Below are a few of my favorite pairings.
Best Vegetables to Roast
Below I’ve given you four quick and easy roasted vegetable recipes, but here’s a list of vegetables that work well oven roasted.
- Root vegetables like carrots (baby carrots work too!), yams, beets, parsnips, sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, etc.
- Cauliflower or broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cherry tomatoes
- Bell pepper
- Butternut squash, winter squash, summer squash
- Red onion
- Green Vegetables
4 Ways to Roast Vegetables
Ingredients
Vegetables
- carrots (cut into sticks)
- cauliflower (into bite-size pieces)
- asparagus (trimmed)
- cherry tomatoes (whole)
- broccoli (into bite-size pieces)
- Brussels sprouts (halved, trimmed stems & remove wilted leaves)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Carrots & Cauliflower
- Season with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2-1 teaspoon of oregano.
- Roast carrots for 10 minutes. Add cauliflower and roast combined veggies for 30 more minutes.
Asparagus & Cherry Tomatoes
- Season with 4-6 cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped), 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt to taste.
- Roast the asparagus and cherry tomatoes together on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes.
Broccoli
- Season with 4-6 cloves of garlic (peeled and minced), 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt to taste.
- Roast the broccoli for 25-30 minutes on a baking sheet.
Brussels Sprouts
- Season with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes on a baking sheet.
Notes
- The broccoli and Brussels sprouts recipes are very simple, but that’s the beauty of it. Try similar recipes with single ingredient vegetables, and don’t be afraid to change it up.
- Other seasoning ideas: balsamic vinegar, rosemary + thyme, or lemon juice.
- We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Roasted Vegetable Cheat Sheet
Feel free to save this handy roasted vegetable cheat sheet, and have a reference guide for the next time you’re wanting to toss some roasted vegetables together!
Do you roast your vegetables, and if so, what are your favorite combos?
I love to roast cubed sweet potatoes and onions tossed with coconut oil. Yummy!
I love roasted Yams or sweet potatoes. I’m going to try to add zucchini and asparagus along side them for some variety. :)
Roasted asparagus mixed with the mini peppers (kept whole ). Delicious and colorful !
My favorite is the roasted cauliflower! My son and I can eat a whole head in one sitting! Thank you for you “cheat sheet”. I refer back to it constantly. I don’t know why I can’t keep the temperature and time in my head from one dinner to the next.
I love roasted veggies; roasting gives them such a deep flavor and it is one of the fastest ways to a satisfying meal accompaniment.
Your roasting chart is so helpful! Thank you!
So glad that you like it! :)
So easy
Can you roast veggies ahead of time and just warm them for 5 – 10 minutes right before serving.
Hi Mary. I just did that very thing yesterday after timing a meal very badly. :) I threw them in under the broiler for a few minutes. It worked well.
Today I roasted a very colorful melange of vegetables: frozen broccoli (thawed), baby bella mushrooms (quartered) yellow squash and zucchini (3/8″ diagonal sliced), baby bell peppers (quartered), red onion, and carrots (3/8″ pennies microwave steamed for 4-6 minutes on med-hi power). Tossed all together with avocado oil, fresh grind sea salt and pepper, and a generous dosing of dried parsley. Roasted @ 425 for just under 30 minutes. OMG. So deliciously simple every vegetable had perfect flavor! I paired this with pineapple teriyaki glazed salmon. IT WAS AMAZING!
Kiran–thanks for your reply. I was already busy in the kitchen roasting the veggies when your responded – I have to say, this worked perfectly! What a time saver – will surely do this again. Thank you :)
This may be a silly question, but can you roast frozen veggies? I assume they would need to be thawed first?
I have roasted frozen Brussels sprouts in the past both by thawing first and also not thawing. Both are fine but thawing turned out a bit better.
I roasted frozen broccoli drizzled with small amount of olive oil, seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper. Set the rack on first level. The oven and room filled with smoke and oil was popped all over the oven. What a mess! Any suggestions or recommendations? Oven was set at 410F
My turkey is a bit large this Thanksgiving(Oct. 13th in Canada) and takes up the entire oven – but I want to roast my veggies. Can I roast them halfway before I put the turkey in and then while it’s “resting” complete the veggies? Will they turn out just as well as if I did them all at once?? Thanks!!
I don’t see why this won’t work. I roasted veggies for a big crowd last Thanksgiving and had to do it in two batches; just had to make sure they were all warm when dinner was served.
Thanks, Kiran!Trying this tonight!
Go Carrie!! Hope your kids love them!! :)
Carrots, parsnips, olive oil, salt and pepper and a little fresh rosemary! Yumm!
How do you roast beets? I’m trying to get my kids to eat more of them. I can get them to have them in their smoothies but that’s about it.
Hello Nicole. Here ya go: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-roast-beets-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-172827. :)
I also pan-cook/roast veggies when I’m in a rush. They’re not quite as delicious as oven-roasted, but I can usually get all the cooking done in 5-10 minutes. Try topping with a bit of grated parmesan, too! I’ll skip the salt when I do that, though, as there’s already plenty of salt in the cheese.
Try brusels sprouts and sweet potatoes. Cube the sweet potatoes so they are about the same size as the halved sprouts. Olive oil and sea salt. Roast 400 till desired tenderness (about 45 min). Toss every 15 min for even cooking.
This looks like a great recipe. I read that olive oil has a low smoking point and have read that it should not be used if your oven is over 400 degrees F. Is the 450F that you suggest safe for cooking? Won’t it smoke and burn the olive oil?
Olive oil is great for many things, but not for high temperature roasting, as it can break down over 375 degrees.
Try Grapeseed oil (not rapeseed oil)
Or for those Diabetic, like myself,or those concerned about cholesterol,
Try Rice Bran Oil (Brand Alfa is available at Tesco)it has a high smoke point, neutral taste, and contains plant sterols which reduce cholesterol.
Good writeup on HostGator may wish to also have a look at Lunarpages
Can you roast leeks “poireau” in French?
J
Every time I try to roast something it ends up being more burnt than roasted. Any tips?
Make sure to check and toss veggies; maybe do this a couple times while cooking, you may want to shorten the cook time as well.
I love roasted vegetables usually do a huge sheet with cauIiflower, asparagus, broccoli, red, yellow and orange peppers, carrots and green beans and tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil seasoned with onion and garlic powder, Italian seasoning as well as kosher salt. I usually roast them at 425 for 20 minutes. I slice the carrots to ensure they are done with the rest.
Steaming is a lot healthier than roasting I’ve read over and over–can you refute this?
Hi Mary,
We have not heard of this … maybe you want to check this out further. There is a lot of mis-information out there so be cautious about what you read – just our input.
We grow sweet potatoes & butternut squash. Cube both, toss with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh rosemary. Roast & ENJOY!
Our family loves carrots, potatoes and beets. Just alittle olive oil, salt and pepper. The beets and carrots sweeten up and it’s pretty colorful with the beets.
Do you peel the beets or not?
do you peel the beets ahead of time? I usually roast them like a baked potato then peel them after they are cooked. But, this sounds more appetizing to the fam… thanks!!
yum!…
1. cauliflower, carrots, brussel sprouts, red onion, bacon
2. sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, red onion, green beans or asparagus
We love roasted cauliflower! Our favorite way is an Indian-ized version (DH is from India). Drizzle florets with mustard oil (available from most Indian grocers) and toss with a little salt and pepper to taste. Once they’re roasted (about 30 min at 425) toss them with chopped fresh cilantro and devour.
And this sounds fantastic as well. My kids love indian food so I’m guessing they may like this as well.
Keep the great combos coming!
I combine potatoes, yams, onions, mushrooms, celery, acorn squash, & carrots. Drizzle with olive oil & Italian spices. We’re happy calling that dinner.
Paula,
I actually bought all of these vegetables today and am going to try this combination tomorrow. Sounds delicious!
Kiran
I love baby carrots, asparagus, and halved or quartered Brussels sprouts. Toss in a bowl w/ 2-3 T olive oil, some grated parmesan, and roast away! 425-450 for 15 20 min. Yummy!
I absolutely LOVE using this recipe in the winter: butternut squash, onions, mushrooms. Roasted at 425 or 450…I can’t remember how long, just until the squash is tender. I usually throw some whole garlic cloves in there, along with salt and pepper, and whatever seasonings I’m in the mood to use!
I’ve always loved roasted potatoes, onions and carrots, especially when roasted with a chicken. And Rachael Ray has this meal I make all the time — it’s actually 5 different meals at once — that starts with 2 chickens roasted alongside onions, carrots, parsnips and garlic. (http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=210) Last winter I tried brussels sprouts, mostly because Trader Joe’s was selling them on the stalk and my son & I were fascinated to see that’s how they grew. Since we liked cauliflower better roasted than steamed, we figured the sprouts would be better this way too, and the whole family (who previously would not TOUCH them) loved them.
I’m on a major eggplant kick at the moment, so my current fave is eggplant, onions and bell peppers. However, a while back I found an awesome recipe for roasted vegetable stacked enchiladas (http://www.perrysplate.com/2011/03/stacked-roasted-vegetable-enchiladas.html) and the mixture of sweet potato, cauliflower, bell peppers, corn and cumin might be my favorite of all time. I can’t wait for fall to really arrive so I can roast vegetables again. There are few days where I am not roasting them or eating leftovers.
Be careful when roasting vegetables with olive oil! Depending on the type of olive oil you use, it should not be used with temperatures above 375! Grapeseed oil has a higher flashpoint and is great for you! I have been using and selling Wildtree grapeseed oil now for a couple of years.
My favorite vegetable to roast at this time of year is delicata squash. It is absolutely delicious. If you haven’t had it, give it a try. You can eat the skin on this sweet yummy squash.
I love roasting veggies and have turned many people onto Brussell Sprouts because of it.
A good mix with broccoli is adding fresh lemon juice to them once cooked and also tossing in some parmesan cheese. a fresh twist.
I also roast spaghetti squash and of course red peppers are one of my favorites.
I recently found a recipe for roasted veggies that was then blended for soup! It got my family’s seal of approval. It was a great way to use 15 pounds of tomatoes from the garden. Roasted beefsteak tomatoes grape tomatoes onion pepper and garlic. Once it was done I let it cool a bit and into the blender it went! Added a little cream when we reheated it! Fantastic!
I roast veggies all the time. Last night I roasted 1 head of broccoli with a yellow and red bell pepper… just tossed in olive oil and baked for about 20-25 min. I seared some tenderloin in olive oil on the stove. Mixed roasted veggies with tenderloin on the stove and simmered with some coconut aminos for a few minutes!! YUM!
I love to roast veggies and have been doing it for years, learned it from my mother. But for those who do not like beets, here is an idea. We like sweet bread and butter pickles and when the jar is empty and only juice left, drain a couple of cans of beets, put them in the remaining pickle juice, put the cap on and back in the fridge they go. Leave them sit for a couple of days and then you will have delish beet pickles, to spark your roasties and no cost or trouble.
We love our roasties here in this house! I usually roast carrots, sweet potatoes, gold potatoes, onions, broccoli, asparagus (in lemon, pepper and dill…yum!), cauliflower and brussel sprouts…but I’ve been known to roast other things too. In fact, we’re getting ready to roast some radishes and some sweet salad turnips from our local Farmers Market tonight.
Little hint on the brussel sprouts if you have a reluctant eater…sprinkle just a little bit of brown sugar over them and toss along with the olive oil, salt and pepper. This helps play up the sweetness from roasting while tempering the bitterness that can sometimes appear.
I started roasting all my veggies two years ago. They taste better and my daughter eats them better roasted, even brussel sprouts.
Try roasting butternut squash that has been diced. Then add thinly sliced red onions for the last 10-15 minutes. Yummy!!