Roasted vegetables are tossed with olive oil and spices, then oven-baked until tender and browned. They make a pretty, easy and delicious side dish.
Whenever I can make a meal with just one side dish instead of the traditional protein + starch + veggie, I’m happy. Easy is good! Yes, I cook for a living, but I’m a very lazy cook.
This is why I love roasted vegetables and make them often, especially in the winter (in the summer I like to make grilled vegetable kabobs). A single pan generates a nice, varied side dish of a few different vegetables. Perfect!
The ingredients you’ll need
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 (the exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below):
Sweet potatoes: You can replace them with a low-carb vegetable such as cauliflower if you wish.
Bell peppers: Any color works. I like to use red peppers.
Broccoli florets: Try to make sure they are about the same size.
Purple cabbage: It’s so pretty! But green cabbage works too.
Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you’d rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead. Another option is melted butter.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty
Garlic powder: You can also use fresh minced garlic. But I do like the way garlic powder coats the veggies evenly.
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, 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 roast vegetables
This recipe isn’t just good for you, 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! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Start by prepping your veggies – washing, drying, slicing, and cutting.
2. Next, arrange them on a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Coat the veggies with the olive oil and sprinkle them with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Roast them for about 20 minutes in a 400°F oven.
Not a low carb recipe
The recipe as written includes sweet potatoes, which are obviously not low-carb. 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 to make them crispy
To make roasted vegetables crispy, make sure the veggies are very dry before you toss them with the olive oil. Then cook them in high heat to ensure they roast rather than steam. Keep in mind that sweet potatoes do not generally crisp up. They simply become tender when baked.
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 these veggies with a main dish that I can cook in the same oven.
So I often serve them with baked pork chops, with baked chicken thighs, or with chicken meatballs. For a meatless dinner, it’s good to serve them with a couple of poached eggs.
What about leftovers?
You can keep the leftovers 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., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.