Roasted vegetables are tossed with olive oil and spices, then oven-baked until tender and browned. They make a pretty, easy and healthy side dish.
I love roasted vegetables and make them often, especially in the winter (in the summer I like to make grilled vegetable kabobs).
Why? Because they are not just healthy, but also so easy to make. Simply slice the veggies, toss with olive oil and spices, and cook in a hot oven until tender. In fact, it’s difficult to give an exact recipe. The whole idea is to use up whatever sturdy veggies you happen to have in the fridge!
The ingredients you’ll need
As I said, the ingredients are simply whatever veggies you happen to have on hand, olive oil, salt & pepper, and garlic powder. Simple!
Here are the ingredients I used today (exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below):
- Sweet potatoes
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli florets
- Purple cabbage
- Olive oil (a healthy ingredient)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Garlic powder
What are the best vegetables for roasting?
Generally speaking, you want sturdy veggies. It’s pretty obvious that cucumbers and lettuce won’t work here (save them for salads).
Some vegetables are especially suited for baking in the oven. Examples? Zucchini, summer squash, carrots, and asparagus.
Other veggies that you can bake include Brussels sprouts (halved), cabbage, cauliflower florets, broccoli, bell peppers, green beans, and onions.
Today, I used a mix of sweet potatoes (I make them for the kids), red bell pepper, broccoli, and purple cabbage.
I like to use these vegetables because they are so colorful. Just look at the photos! Aren’t they gorgeous?
How to make roasted vegetables
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- Start by prepping your veggies – washing, drying, slicing, and cutting.
- Next, arrange them on a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Coat with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Roast for about 20 minutes at 400°F.
But this is not a low carb recipe!
True. I make sweet potatoes for my kids. And since I believe that sweet potatoes are healthy, in moderation, for those that do not have to limit carbs, I included them in this recipe.
But this recipe is just a very rough guide. If you’re on a low carb or keto diet, simply omit the sweet potatoes and roast low carb veggies such as cauliflower or (for nice color) orange bell pepper instead.
How do you make roasted vegetables crispy?
Make sure the veggies are very dry before you toss them with the olive oil, and cook them in high heat to ensure they roast rather than steam.
How to serve them?
This is such a versatile side dish. You can serve it with anything, really. But since I cook them in a 400°F oven, I like to serve it with a main dish that I can cook in the same oven. So I often serve these roasted veggies with one of the following:
For a meatless dinner, it’s good to serve them with a couple of poached eggs.
What about leftovers?
You can keep leftover roasted vegetables in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. They are good when reheated in the microwave on 50% power. They are also excellent cold – just like Italian antipasti.
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Roasted Vegetables
INGREDIENTS
- 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 2 large red bell peppers, sliced into thick strips
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 medium purple cabbage, cut into wedges
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the spices. Use your hands to coat the vegetables evenly.
- Roast the vegetables until fork tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
