How to Make Roasted Vegetables

Easy Delicious Basic Roasted Vegetable Recipe with Variations

Roasted Vegetables: Simple, easy & delicious - e.g. cauliflower, potatoes, carrots & beets.

Roasted veggies are like fries, only tastier, healthier, and oven-cooked. They take longer to cook, but the deep, hearty flavor is heavenly!

Total Prep & Cook Time: 10 minutes - 1 hour.

Yield: As many servings as will fit in your oven

For generous servings (recommended!!), start with 2 cups chopped raw veggies per person - they will shrink to about 1 1/2 cups in the oven.

To make roasted vegetables you need:

• Any roastable vegetable or combination from the list below
• An Oven: any oven, as long as it can maintain a steady temperature for up to 1 hour
• Roasting pan or casserole: Or anything ovenproof, even foil wrap & cookie sheet.
• Herbs & Spices: e.g. Salt, pepper, thyme, savory, sage, rosemary, basil, curry spice, garlic. You don't need to use them all at once, just whatever you like and have on hand
• Heat Tolerant Oil: You can dry roast veggies, but a little bit of oil conducts heat, seals in the juices, and browns evenly.
• Large Cutting Board: Plastic is inexpensive, easy to clean, doesn't warp, goes in the dishwasher. Wood or bamboo is classier & greener, but must be oiled regularly, plus washed & dried right after use.

• Chef's Knife: Highly recommended. A good sharp knife makes veggie chopping a pleasure, a dull one makes it difficult and dangerous.
• Knife Sharpener: Dull knives aren't safe or effective.
• See our article & video How to Use a Chef's Knife for more info.

Sample Roasting Veggies

• Asparagus, whole stems or 2 inch pieces, trim off tough ends
• Beets, cut in 1/2 inch cubes or thin slices (beets take longer to cook than any other veggie)
• Broccoli, peel stems, cut in 1 inch pieces, cut florettes into 2 inch pieces
• Brussels sprouts, stems removed, halved or whole
• Carrots, sliced in 1/2 inch slice or dice
• Cauliflower, cut in 2 inch pieces

• Garlic, whole cloves: Cut off stem end, peel, slit the clove and remove the stem, which is bitter.
• Green beans, whole young tender green beans, trimmed, fresh or frozen
• Onions, peeled, cored, quartered or thickly sliced
• Parsnips, trimmed, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
• Peppers, quarters or large chunks, oseeded
• Potatoes, peeled or not, cut in 1 inch wedges or chunks
• Tomatoes, firm, seeded, cut in quarters or small whole
• Sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in 1 inch wedges
• Turnips or rutabagas, cut in 1 inch wedges or chunks
• Winter squash, cut in 1 x 2 inch pieces
• Zucchini or summer squash, 1 x 3 inch pieces

Directions

1. Roast veggies alone, or in combinations depending on their cooking time, flavor, color etc
2. Vary the sizes and shapes to increase or decrease the cooking time
3. Asparagus, zucchini and green beans are best roasted alone or added in the last 10 - 15 minutes cooking
4. Cauliflower, broccoli, green beans and brussels sprouts go well together or with root veggies
5. Summer squashes, tomatoes, tender green beans and peppers cook in the same amount of time (about 30 minutes total)
6. Root veggies: carrots, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes cook in about the same amount of time
7. Beets should be roasted separately from other root veggies and combined after cooking
8. Preheat oven to 375 - 425 degrees (higher temp for quicker cooking veg)
9. Cut veggies and spread in a roasting pan or casserole dish
10. Sprinkle or spray with oil, herbs, salt and pepper, and stir to coat
11. Place pan in the middle of the oven, and set a timer for 10 minutes
12. After 10 minutes, turn the veggies and set timer for another 5 minutes
13. Asparagus and other tender veggies need 7 - 10 minutes total roasting time and careful attention
14. Hard long cooking root veg cook more thoroughly and evenly if they are cooked covered for 20 - 30 minutes, then roasted uncovered
15. If veggies are brown but not cooked through, cover and reduce heat to 350 degrees until a sharp knife slides through easily
16. Roasted vegetables are delicious served with any grain or pasta dish, sauce or gravy, or in salads