Roasting Winter Vegetables
Roasting vegetables caramelizes the natural sugars in them creating amazing depth of flavor, plus it is a super easy way to make delicious plant-based side dishes and entrees.
In my opinion the best temperature to roast vegetables at is 400F or 425F allowing them to get crispy and perfectly browned on the outside and fork tender on the inside. Some other easy tips for effortless roasted veggies:
* Use a rimmed baking sheet. If the sides of the pan are too high, you risk trapping steam making your vegetables mushy
* Line the pan with parchment paper to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan and promote even browning – plus, it makes for easier clean up!
* Chop, slice or dice your vegetables into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly
* Make sure to use enough (but not too much) fat – If you don’t use enough, your veggies will turn out dry, too much, and they will be way too greasy – use about 1 tablespoon of oil per pound of veggies
* Keep the veggies in a single layer, if you load too many in the pan, the trapped steam prevents them from roasting up crispy and brown
*Flip the veggies around about halfway or so through the cooking process to get golden, evenly cooked yumminess.
So, BE BRAVE and start roasting –try out this recipe with winter vegetables, or roast your favorites – and check out the other recipes on this blog for roasting cauliflower, brussels sprouts or cabbage
Happy Roasting!
Roasted Warm Veggie Salad
Ingredients
1 medium white or sweet onion, cut into ½ inch wedges
1 sweet potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 beets, peeled and cut into wedges
3-4 radishes, cut in half or quarters
4 tablespoons O&V Roasted Garlic oil (divided) *
1 tablespoon Garlic powder
1 ½ tablespoons O&V Red Onion vinegar *
1 tablespoon Harissa sauce
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
1 tablespoon Lemon zest (from one lemon), divided
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup raisins (optional)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup feta, sliced or roughly crumbled
¼ cup toasted walnuts or almonds (optional)
Bed of arugula or spring greens
Drizzle of high quality unflavored EVOO to finish
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl toss together the onions, sweet potatoes, carrot, parsnip, beet, and radishes with 2 tablespoons of the Roasted Garlic oil. Season with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Mix till evenly coated and move to the rimmed baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until vegetables are fork tender and lightly browned.
In the same large bowl make the dressing by whisking the vinegar with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Roasted Garlic oil, Harissa, lemon juice, half the lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the parsley.
Remove the vegetables from the oven, add to the bowl with the dressing and toss. Stir in the raisins and nuts (if using).
Top with the feta, sprinkle the remaining half tablespoon of lemon zest and drizzle with a little unflavored EVOO. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 4
Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 60 minutes
Notes
* The Roasted Garlic oil and Red Onion vinegar add layers of flavor to the vegetables. For a more citrusy, bright combination replace the oil with a Blood Orange oil and use a Date vinegar or Hazelnut vinegar. You can use a high-quality unflavored oil (just add some cloves of garlic to the roasted vegetables) and use a high quality aged balsamic vinegar too.
Categories: Entrees, Soups & Salads, Snacks & Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy Free Option, Gluten Free, Roasted Vegetables, Sweet potato, Carrots, Parsnip, Beets, Radish, Roasted Garlic oil, Red Onion Vinegar, Blood Orange oil, Date Vinegar, Hazelnut Vinegar, Harissa sauce, Raisins, Feta Cheese, Walnuts, Almonds, Weeknight Meal, Mediterranean Diet, Plant Based,
