Whether you’re entertaining or just want to change up your weeknight routine, try these three delightful ways to add a little excitement to roasted vegetables.
Roasted vegetables are a fail-safe side dish any time of the year. I toss whatever produce is in season with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and cook until tender and starting to caramelize at the edges. Like my other go-to dishes, though, I grow weary of serving and eating the same renditions meal after meal. The invigorating start of a new season is good motivation to change up the routine, so I’ve been finding small but effective ways to keep our favorite side dish fresh. Here are some of the ways I dispel the monotony of roasted vegetables.
- Play with fresh herbs. Fresh herbs tend to get more glory during the warmer months, but plenty are still going strong past late summer and into fall, like rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage. These herbs also happen to be great flavor companions with fall vegetables. To start, try the recipe below for carrots roasted with fresh oregano.
- Experiment with fruit. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a sweet twist on a savory classic, so adding fresh fruits like apples, pears, figs or cranberries is welcome in many roasted vegetable dishes. I love the combination of sweet potatoes and apples in the recipe below.
- Add balsamic vinegar. I first tried this tangy-sweet addition in this roasted Brussels sprouts recipe. Since then, I’ve successfully added balsamic vinegar to other vegetables, and one of my favorites is the roasted beet recipe below.
Roasted carrots with fresh oregano
Ingredients:
- 1 pound baby carrots, peeled (or full-sized carrots peeled and cut into 3/4-inch slices)
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
- 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the carrots with olive oil and salt in a small square baking dish and cover with foil. Cook for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and stir in the oregano.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Cook, uncovered, until the carrots are tender and begin to brown on the edges, about 20 more minutes. Garnish with the sliced almonds and serve warm.
Roasted balsamic beets
Ingredients:
- 3 medium beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup goat cheese or fresh ricotta
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium baking dish, toss the beets, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt to combine. Cover with foil and cook 35 minutes.
- Remove the foil and return to the oven and cook until the liquid evaporates and the beets can be pierced easily with a fork, another 5-10 minutes.
- Cool for at least 10 minutes, then serve warm garnished with cheese and pepper. This can also be served cold or room temperature the next day.
Roasted sweet potatoes with apples
Despite the sweet addition of fruit, I kept this dish undoubtedly savory with onions and za’atar. If you don’t have za’atar seasoning, substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled (optional) and cut into 1-inch wide sticks
- 2 medium Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon za’atar
- Pinch of salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Drizzle the sweet potatoes, apples and onion with olive oil. Sprinkle on the za’atar and salt and toss to evenly distribute.
- Cook until the sweet potatoes are soft and just beginning to brown at the edges, about 45 minutes, stirring about every 15 minutes. Serve warm.
More roasted vegetable recipes
Roasted fingerling potatoes
Romesco sauce with roasted vegetables
Roasted cauliflower with lemon zest and garlic oil
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