Oven-Roasted Vegetables

Name: Oven-Roasted Vegetables
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 red bell peppers (Large, cut into bite-size pieces (10 ounces)); 1 red onion (Extra-large, peeled, cut into thick slices (10 ounces)); 4 cups cauliflower florets ((12 ounces)); 4 cups broccoli florets ((12 ounces)); 4 cups Brussels sprouts (Halved (12 ounces)); Olive oil spray; 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon dried thyme

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To make these oven-roasted vegetables, an assortment of veggies are tossed with olive oil, garlic, and thyme and then baked in the oven until tender and browned.

They make a pretty, easy, and delicious side dish, and the leftovers are excellent, too, whether reheated or enjoyed cold as antipasti.

Oven-roasted vegetables on a baking 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 lazy cook. 🙂

This is why I love these oven-roasted vegetables and make them often, especially in the winter (in the summer, I like to make veggie kabobs). A single sheet pan generates a nice, varied side dish of several vegetables. Perfect!

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Ingredients
The Best Vegetables for Roasting
Variations
Instructions
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Storing Leftovers
More Roasted Veggie Recipes
Foodie Newsletter
Recipe Card
Comments

Ingredients

This is a flexible recipe, and I encourage you to experiment with your favorite vegetable and seasoning combination. The ingredients are whatever veggies you have on hand, olive oil, salt & pepper, and your favorite seasonings. The idea is to use up whatever sturdy veggies you have in the fridge!

One of my favorite combinations is the one shown here - red bell peppers, red onion, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. As for seasonings, I almost always use kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme. The exact measurements for these ingredients are listed in the recipe card below.

The Best Vegetables for Roasting

Generally speaking, you want sturdy veggies. Cucumbers and lettuce won't work here (save them for salads like creamy cucumber salad or arugula salad). Surprisingly, roasted cherry tomatoes are actually delicious.

Some vegetables, including zucchini, summer squash, carrots, and asparagus, are especially suited for baking in the oven. Other veggies you can bake include halved Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower florets, broccoli, bell peppers, green beans, and onions.

I have several recipes where I roast these vegetables individually:

Today, I used a mix of red bell peppers, red onion, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. I like to use these vegetables because they are so colorful. Just look at the photos! Aren't they gorgeous?

Variations

Vary your seasonings! Good candidates include ½ teaspoon of onion powder, ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, and ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin.
I like to use olive oil spray because it's convenient, but it's fine to drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and use your hands to coat them. You can also use melted butter.
As mentioned above, you can use any sturdy veggie in this recipe. The photo below shows a different combination that includes peppers, zucchini, red onions, and mushrooms.

Instructions

It's incredibly easy to make these oven-roasted vegetables. You simply slice the veggies, coat them with olive oil and spices, and roast them in the oven until tender. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

You start by prepping your veggies - washing, drying, slicing, and cutting them. The images below show you how I prep each of the vegetables:

Arrange the vegetables on a rimmed, parchment-lined baking sheet. Coat them with olive oil and sprinkle them with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.

Roast the veggies for about 30 minutes in a 425°F oven. That's it! Your delicious side dish is ready.

Expert Tips

There's no need to stir the veggies midway through baking. Leaving them undisturbed promotes browning and caramelizing, resulting in superior results than if you had stirred them.
Remember that this is a flexible recipe. See the photo below - I didn't have any red peppers, so I roasted what I had - broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and red onion.

Recipe FAQs

What are the best vegetables for roasting?

You should use sturdy veggies. Cucumbers and lettuce, for example, are not suitable for roasting. You can use any of the following: Zucchini, summer squash, carrots, asparagus, halved Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower florets, broccoli, bell peppers, green beans, radishes, and onions.

How do you make oven-roasted vegetables crispy?

Ensure the veggies are thoroughly dry before you coat them with olive oil, and coat them generously. Then, roast them in a hot oven to ensure they roast rather than steam.

You should also roast them until they are quite brown. If you pull them out of the oven too soon, they won't be properly caramelized.

What is a good seasoning for roasted veggies?

I like to use a simple combination of salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme. Other tasty options include ½ teaspoon of dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin. Sometimes, I make life super easy by using a tablespoon of pizza seasoning instead of the other spices.

Serving Suggestions

Oven-roasted vegetables are a versatile side dish that goes with anything. But since I cook the veggies in a 425°F oven, I like to serve them with a main dish I can bake in the same oven.

So I often serve them with baked cod, chicken cordon bleu, rack of lamb, or baked salmon.

Alternatively, I serve these veggies with a main dish I can pan-fry, such as duck breast (shown in the photo below), pan-fried salmon, or lamb chops.

Roasted vegetables are served with duck breast.

For a meatless dinner, they're excellent with a couple of fried or poached eggs.

Storing Leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. I like to keep them in a glass food storage container, as shown in the photo.

It's best to reheat them in a 350°F oven since they tend to become soggy in the fridge. They are also delicious when served cold, antipasti-style.