Roasted Vegetables 101

Never sure how long to roast your veggies or what herbs and spices are best suited to different vegetables? Keep reading for our ultimate guide to perfect roasted vegetables.

Perfect Roasted Vegetables 101:

1. Roasted Carrots

The perfect companion to chicken or beef, roasted carrots have a sweet and earthy flavor. You can either choose regular orange carrots, or if you’re feeling more adventurous, we suggest trying heirloom carrots. A mix of white, purple, orange and red, heirloom carrots are earthy and will add a rustic quality to any main meal.

How To:

Peel carrots, and toss in a baking pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 400 F, turning occasionally, until tender and caramelized to an amber brown, about 35 minutes.

Recipe: Get our recipe for Maple and Thyme Roasted Carrots here!

2. Roasted Squash (Butternut, Acorn)

Squash could just be the perfect winter veggie. Packed with vitamins and nutrients and bursting with a sweet and delicate flavour, they are amazing when roasted simply with olive oil or sea salt, but also lend themselves well to Asian-style flavours like sesame.

How To:

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash outside of squash and cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and flesh from the inside of the squash with a spoon. Cut squash into wedges. Place in an even layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and any herb or spices that you like. Roast in 375 F oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until tender and caramelized around the edges.

Recipe: Get our recipe for an amazing Roasted Butternut Squash here!

3. Roasted Pumpkin

Not just for Halloween, pumpkins are a great winter veggies that are often over-looked. We suggest using small pumpkins, like sugar pumpkins as they are easier to prepare and cook, and very sweet.

How To:

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pumpkin in half and use a spoon to scoop out seeds. Cut into wedges and place, cut side up, on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Roast in 400 F oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until soft. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh herbs or freshly grated Parmesan.

Tip: Don’t throw out those pumpkin seeds! Instead, follow our easy guide for How to Perfectly Roast Pumpkin Seeds here!

4. Brocolli & Cauliflower

How To:

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Break apart head of cauliflower or broccoli (or both!) into florets. For roasting, we like to keep the florets on the bigger side so that they don’t just fall apart into tiny pieces. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper and toss to coat well. Spread on baking sheet and bake until veggies begin to soften and caramelize around the edges, about 25 to 30 minutes. At this point, you can remove from oven and drizzle with tahini or any other marinade that you like, then continue to roast for 10 to 15 more minutes.

Recipe: Try this delicious recipe for Tahini Roasted Cauliflower

5. Tomatoes

You can roast any kind of tomato, but plum tomatoes are the best. They are medium-sized, dark red, and very sweet. Roasted tomatoes are ultra-versatile and can be used in other recipes (like soups or sauces), or they stand alone as a super yummy side to many meats and fish (we are particularly fond of the roasted plum tomato and grilled steak with bitter arugula combo).

How To:

Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and remove seeds and stems if you like. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, cut side up and drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and freshly chopped (woody) herbs such as marjoram or thyme. Roast at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue to roast slowly for 1 hour.

Recipe: Get our recipe for Balsamic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes here!

6. Roasted Potatoes

There are so many types of potatoes, sometimes it can make your head spin! From the king of potatoes — the Yukon Gold potato — to mini red, white and purple potatoes to elegant fingerling potatoes, it’s often difficult to know which potato is best for which type of preparating and cooking. Generally, we would say that Yukon Gold’s are our favourite type of potato for roasting, as they are rich, golden, and buttery. But really, you can roast any kind of potato, so get creative!

How To:

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss potatoes (mini whole or chopped larger ones) with olive oil, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and herbs. Roast at 425 F until tender, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Recipe: Get our recipe for the Best Roasted Potatoes here!

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7. Root Veggies

Root veggies are just what they sound like, they are grown in the ground with roots. They consist of carrots, parsnips, yams, beets, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, yuca, celery root (or celeriac), jicama, Jerusalem artichokes, radishes, and ginger. We like roasting carrots, parsnips, yams.

How To:

Peel root vegetables and trim ends. Then cut into large or small wedges or sticks, or cut in half. Place in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary and honey or maple syrup if you like. Roast in a 375 F oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until tender and caramelized.

Recipe: Get our recipe for Maple Roasted Root Veggies here!