Roasted Vegetables

How to make perfect oven roasted vegetables. Roasting any variety of vegetables is quick, easy, and delicious with this simple formula.

Perfect Oven Roasted Vegetables

Two methods is all you need to perfectly cook any kind of vegetable: Roast and Sauté.

It doesn't matter what time of year it is, what fresh veggies your local market has in stock this week, or what kind of veggies you prefer to eat. If you know how to roast and sauté vegetables, you're set.

In my refrigerator nearly every week, you'll find either a bowl of sautéed mixed vegetables or roasted mixed vegetables. That's because at the beginning of most weeks, I cook up a large batch of whatever vegetables are in season for use throughout the rest of the week.

Roasted or sautéed mixed veggies make a deliciously quick side dish to pretty much anything. But, I also like to have them on hand to toss into salads, stir into soup, layer in sandwiches, or top off a taco.

I've found that we're all more likely to eat more veggies throughout the week when there's a bowl of already cooked ones in the refrigerator at the ready.

Roasting vegetables is easy, requiring only a bit of prep work before popping them in the oven.

Roast any kind of vegetable you like in the same pan at the same time. The only thing you need to pay attention to is whether you're mixing veggies that require a longer roasting time with veggies that require a short roasting time.

If you arrange your vegetables on the pan in groups, you can easily remove fast cooking vegetables when they are done, leaving the rest to finish roasting. Here's a rough guide, but the best way to tell if a vegetable is done to your liking is simply to taste it.

Vegetables that require a longer roasting time (30-40 minutes at 450 degrees): Squash, roots and tubers (potatoes, parsnips, carrots, beets), alliums (onions, leeks, garlic).

Vegetables that require a shorter roasting time (15-20 minutes at 450 degrees): Cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, green beans, bell peppers, mushrooms.

When chopping vegetables in preparation for roasting, try to cut them into pieces that are all roughly the same size to help them cook evenly. Toss sliced veggies with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic if you like, lay them on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven to roast.

When the vegetables are finished roasting, squeeze a little fresh lemon over the top and toss. This is optional, but a touch of fresh lemon adds a delicious brightness to their flavor.

Used in this recipe:

More Simple Vegetable Dishes:

• Perfect Sautéed Vegetables
• Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Vegetable Rice Pilaf with Bacon
• Roasted Carrots and Dates

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.