Rarely does a week go by that I don’t make some sort of roast vegetables. They’re delicious and versatile and can come together for a quick and simple meal. Quite often I’ll make a batch of them at the weekend and use them to make a variety of dishes throughout the week. In this post I’ll show a few example recipes and techniques you can use so you always have something healthy and satisfying ready to go whenever you need it.
When preparing roast veg it’s important to cut them to similar sizes and group them to all cook together. The harder and thicker the vegetable, generally, the longer it’ll take to cook. Cutting harder root veg like carrots and sweet potatoes into thumb sized chunks mean they should cook in about 20 mins, while softer veg like broccoli or bell peppers can be done in bigger chunks and cook in a similar time or less.
When making a batch of roast veg I usually go with a few different flavour profiles to give a bit of variety and options to the week. I’ll usually go with some spiced, some with herbs and some reasonably plain. In general though, I’ll follow the following process:
- Chop veg to desired shape and size.
- Add a couple of glugs of Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil to a large mixing bowl.
- Add any spices or herbs I’m using to the bowl. Or just a good pinch of salt and/or pepper.
- Toss the vegetables in the oil and herbs/spices in the bowl.
- Pour the oil coated veg onto a large baking sheet and spread them out.
Though sometimes I will just drizzle the oil on the tray, add the veg and herbs, and drizzle it all over them. The above method just get a more even coating.
Stick the tray into a pre-heated oven at 200° C and set a timer for 15 mins. When it goes off check them for doneness and if needing longer return to the oven and check every 5-10 mins. Different veg cook at different rates, so thinly sliced aubergine and tender stalks of asparagus will be done in a flash, while heartier root veg may take longer.
If you can be bothered or your oven is particularly temperamental with hot spots, you could rotate the tray half way through, or even flip the veg over for an even roasting. I’ll be honest, I usually don’t bother unless I’m looking for a particularly even crisp (like roast potatoes).
Top left: Red and Yellow bell peppers in large chunks, halved cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, whole chillies and fresh basil. Drizzled in extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Bottom left: Carrots and parsnips cut into chunks and drizzled with oil and salt.
Top right: Broccoli florets with cold pressed rapeseed oil, salt and pepper.
Bottom right: Mixed fresh mushrooms tossed with thyme stalks and cold pressed rapeseed oil.
Roast these for 20-30 minutes at 200° C and you’ll end up with something like this:
You now have all the makings of several great meals. These can be simply eaten as they are piled up on a plate with crusty bread, blended together to make a delicious soup, used as a side dish to meat, fish or other veg, added to a stir fry, pasta, omelette or grains. I’ve been prone to munching on hunks of roasted sweet potato straight from the tray.
Pretty much any vegetable can be roasted. Try out slices of aubergine or courgette tossed in oregano. Or cauliflower florets in garam masala. Brussel sprouts roast up beautifully so that even an avowed sprout loather like me can eat them. Roots like swede, kohlrabi and celeriac become sweet treats after the roasting treatment.
Also note if your oven runs a little cooler, or isn’t fan assisted, crank the heat up to 220° C. If you cut your veg a little thinner and smaller they’ll cook faster, if you cook them larger they’ll take a little longer. Roast until you see the caramelisation and feel the tenderness. If in doubt, left a bit out and (once cooled) give it a try, Easy!
Check out these recipes for some ideas on how to use these veggies to make different meals:
Roasted Pepper and Tomato Pasta
(More coming soon)
I hope this has inspired you to get the roasting tins out and stock your fridge (and belly) with some delicious roasted veg. I’ll likely revisit this topic in future, looking at roast potatoes and sweet potato fries, as well as other combinations, so watch out for those.
For now though, thanks for reading and happy eating!
Matthew
A Sincere Love of Food 
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