An assortment of tasty vegetables are tossed with olive oil, garlic and thyme, then roasted in the oven until tender and browned.
They make a pretty, easy, and delicious side dish, and leftovers are great too, whether heated up or enjoyed cold as antipasti.
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 oven-roasted vegetables and make them often, especially in the winter (in the summer I like to make grilled vegetable kabobs). A single sheet pan generates a nice, varied side dish of a few different vegetables. Perfect!
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Ingredients
The ingredients are simply whatever veggies you happen to have on hand, olive oil, salt & pepper, and seasonings. Simple!
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 are listed in the recipe card below.
Instructions
It's incredibly easy to make oven-roasted vegetables. That's actually one of the best things about this recipe. You simply slice the veggies, coat them with olive oil and spices, then cook them 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 detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
You start by prepping your veggies - washing, drying, slicing, and cutting them.
Next, arrange the veggies 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 them for about 30 minutes in a 425°F oven. That's it! Your tasty side dish is ready.
Expert tip
There's no need to store the veggies midway through baking. In fact, if you leave them undisturbed, it promotes browning and caramelizing, resulting in superior results than if you had stirred them.
Frequently asked questions
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 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?
Make sure the veggies are very dry before you coat them with olive oil, and do coat them generously. Then cook them in high heat to ensure that they roast rather than steam.
Oh, and roast them until they are quite brown. If you pull them out of the oven too soon they won't have this amazing caramelization going on.
I like to use a simple combination of salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme. Other good options include dried oregano and dried cumin. Sometimes I make life super easy by using a tablespoon of pizza seasoning in addition to salt and pepper.
Variations
As mentioned above, you can use any sturdy veggie that you happen to have on hand.
I like to use olive oil spray, but it's fine to drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and use your hands to coat them in the oil.
As for seasonings, as I said, my favorite combination (in addition to salt and pepper) is garlic powder and dried thyme. You can also try onion powder and dried oregano.
Serving suggestions
This is such a versatile side dish. You can serve it with anything, really. But since I cook the veggies in a 425°F oven, I like to serve them with a main dish that I can bake in the same oven.
So I often serve them with baked cod, chicken cordon bleu, or baked salmon. For a meatless dinner, it's good to serve them with a couple of poached eggs.
Storing leftovers
You can keep them 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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Recipe card
Oven-Roasted Vegetables
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large red bell peppers cut into bite-size pieces (10 oz)
- 1 extra-large red onion peeled and cut into thick slices (10 oz)
- 4 cups cauliflower florets (12 oz)
- 4 cups broccoli florets (12 oz)
- 4 cups Brussels sprouts halved (12 oz)
- Olive oil spray
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with high-heat-resistant parchment paper.
- Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spray them generously with olive oil and sprinkle them with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
- Roast the vegetables until fork tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
- Make sure the veggies are very dry before you coat them with olive oil, and do coat them generously.
- Then cook them in high heat to ensure that they roast rather than steam.
- Roast them until they are quite brown. If you pull them out of the oven too soon they won't have this amazing caramelization going on.
- There's no need to stir them midway through baking.
ADD YOUR OWN NOTES
NUTRITION PER SERVING
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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, and Country Living. 