Today I’m going to share my easy roasted veggies recipe with you. No matter the season, this recipe will help you get more fresh food on plates without a lot of fuss.
It makes my heart sad to know how many people opt for eating fast food or something they just unbox over fresh. And I get it. When you have to shuttle kids around after school, or you’re just a busy person always in a hurry, it’s hard to even find the energy to even open a box. However, I’m a believer in eating fresh food as much as possible, and that’s not hard, friends!
Why Fresh Vegetables Matter
One of the reasons I love gardening is for the pure abundance of fresh vegetables I am able to harvest. Sadly, we’ve become accustomed as a society to reaching for packaged food to throw in the microwave. That’s a shame because preparing fresh vegetables isn’t really that much more work than opening a box and it’s so much better for your health.
In a perfect world, growing your own vegetables is your best bet to fresh produce. In this way, you solely control how you care for them and feed them. Second would be buying from a farmer’s market and third would be the grocery store. The grocery store is third because by the time vegetables hit the grocery store, many have lost quite a bit of both their freshness and their nutrient value. Even if you only have a tiny bit of space, you can start small and grow a few vegetables of your own. The vertical planter I highlighted a few weeks ago is a wonderful alternative to a traditional garden and is also the perfect way to get kids excited to learn about gardening too.
That being said, I am no stranger to being busy or multi-tasking, which is why I want to share this foolproof easy roasted veggies recipe with you. This truly is the easiest recipe ever and you can do this with practically any vegetable imaginable. Chop them, add oil, season them, and in the oven they go. Although you do have to check on them while they’re roasting, it allows you some time to also do small tasks, like check on how your kiddos are doing on their homework or folding a load of laundry. Potatoes, green beans, carrots, Brussels sprouts – they can all be roasted on a sheet pan and the cleanup is easy. And, let’s be honest, we all want cleanup to be easy.
Why Roasted Veggies?
There are a few reasons I recommend roasting vegetables:
- The flavor. If you’ve ever tasted roasted Brussels sprouts over, say, boiled, you would understand. The flavor of roasted is richer, but also mellower. The texture goes from mushy to crispy and savory. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. Roasted onions? Amazing!
- It’s pretty close to foolproof. Even more delicate textured fruits and vegetables can be roasted, like tomatoes. The temperature is kept the same but the roasting time is simply adjusted.
- When you roast vegetables on a sheet pan, you have the space to spread them out and even put more than one option on the pan. In this way, you can serve multiple vegetables and the pickier eaters can be satisfied too.
My Easy Roasted Veggies Tips
In cases where you want to want to roast vegetables that don’t play well together (i.e. not at the same pace) like tomatoes and potatoes, you have a few options. You can roast them on separate pans, adding them to the oven according to the time needed per veggie OR you can start by roasting the potatoes first and then 10 minutes before they would be done, you can pull them out of the oven and then add your tomatoes. Below, I roasted squash pieces first, then added Brussels sprouts, then put in a separate pan of cherry tomatoes.
Here’s what the final roasted pics look like. The squash and Brussels sprouts are nicely browned and crispy and the tomatoes just until bursting.
Timing Guidelines:
- Root Vegetables: (beets, potatoes, carrots) 30 to 45 minutes
- Winter Squash: (butternut, acorn) 20 to 30 minutes
- Cruciferous: (cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts) 15 to 25 minutes
- Tomatoes: 15 to 20 minutes
- Onions: 30 to 45 minutes
- Soft: (summer squash, zucchini, peppers) 10 to 20 minutes
- Thin: (green beans, asparagus, peapods) 10 to 20 minutes
Easy Roasted Veggies
This foolproof recipe is an easy way to get fresh vegetables on plates, no matter the season!
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds fresh vegetables
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper.
- Prepare and slice your veggies in uniform thickness so they cook evenly.
- Place your veggies in a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon of oil per 1 to 2 pounds of vegetables. I prefer olive oil for roasting vegetables but you can use practically any you may have on hand.
- Thoroughly stir so the vegetables have an even coat of olive oil on them but aren't drowning in it. This ensures that all sides will get that nice browned and caramelized finish.
- Add 1 teaspoon of seasoning. My go-to is Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, but I like trying other seasonings. A sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar on sweet potatoes and squash is divine and steak salt is amazing on regular potatoes. The beauty of this recipe is that you can play around with it, adding extra spices like rosemary and basil to enhance flavors.
- Add the seasoned veggies to your sheet pan, spreading them out in a single layer.
- Check and stir the veggies every 10 to 15 minutes until you can easily pierce them with a fork and the edges are deliciously crispy.
- Transfer to a serving dish and taste, adding more seasoning if needed before serving.
Notes
In cases where you want to want to roast vegetables that don't play well together (i.e. not at the same pace) like tomatoes and potatoes, you have a few options. You can roast them on separate pans, adding them to the oven according to the time needed per veggie OR you can start by roasting the potatoes first and then 10 minutes before they would be done, you can pull them out of the oven and then add your tomatoes.
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