Roasted Vegetables

Roasting is one of the easiest ways to cook vegetables, and also one of the most flavorful. For those of you who say, “I don’t like broccoli/Brussels sprouts/asparagus,” we’d encourage you to give them another shot with roasting—we’re pretty sure you’ll change your tune.

Roasting allows the vegetables’ natural flavors to thoroughly develop, delivering a nicely browned crispiness on the outside and sweet tenderness on the inside. Plus, roasting requires very little hands-on cooking time, allowing you to batch-prep a bunch of veggies for the week while you’re doing other stuff around the house.

Roasting means to cook in dry heat at a high temperature—we use 425°F. You’ll want to use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to keep the vegetables from sticking. Don’t use a pan with high sides, as that will trap some moisture, and your veggies will steam instead of roast.

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perfect roasted vegetables

Serves 2 (with leftovers)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 to 50 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes to 1 hour

• 1 pound vegetables
• 2 tablespoons cooking fat, melted
• Salt and black pepper

You can roast just about any vegetable, even some hearty greens. Vegetables well suited to this technique include starchy roots like carrots, potatoes, parsnips, and beets; hearty vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, fennel, bell peppers, and eggplant; and squashes like butternut, acorn, or spaghetti. You can even roast more delicate vegetables like green beans, tomatoes, and kale!

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

If necessary, peel and trim the vegetables. Cut each vegetable into even-sized pieces if necessary (refer to the chart for our recommendations). Place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with the melted fat. Toss or mix thoroughly so the vegetables are evenly coated.

Spread the vegetables evenly on the prepared baking sheet(s). Do not crowd or overlap the veggies, as they’ll steam instead of roast. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast the vegetables in the oven according to the chart, flipping or stirring once to ensure all sides are cooked evenly. (Cooking times are variable, so experiment and check often as the vegetables cook as you get familiar with this technique.) Cook until the vegetables are lightly browned and crispy on the outside and fork-tender on the inside.

If the vegetables are browned to your liking before they’ve reached your desired tenderness, turn the heat down to 350°F and continue roasting, checking for doneness every 5 to 7 minutes.

Toss with your favorite dressing or sauce (starting here), drizzle with balsamic glaze, or use our serving suggestions.

Roasting Vegetables

Vegetable	Prep	Roast Time	Seasoning Suggestions
Acorn squash	halved	45 to 50 minutes	drizzle of ghee, dash of cinnamon
Asparagus	whole	25 minutes	drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of zest
Beets	1-inch pieces	35 to 45 minutes	squeeze of orange juice and sprinkle of zest and fresh thyme
Bell pepper	1-inch pieces	25 to 35 minutes	splash of balsamic vinegar
Broccoli	1-inch florets	20 to 25 minutes	squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of zest
Brussels sprouts	halved	35 to 40 minutes	squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of zest
Butternut squash	1-inch pieces	45 to 50 minutes	drizzle of ghee, sprinkle of thyme or rosemary
Cabbage	8 wedges	25 to 30 minutes	squeeze of lemon juice, dried chives
Carrots	1-inch pieces	20 to 25 minutes	squeeze of lemon juice, fresh minced parsley and mint
Cauliflower	1-inch florets	20 to 25 minutes	squeeze of lemon juice, dried chives
Eggplant	½-inch slices	20 to 25 minutes	splash of balsamic vinegar, fresh chopped tomatoes, dried oregano
Fennel	1-inch pieces	30 to 40 minutes	squeeze of orange or lemon juice and sprinkle of zest
Green beans	whole	12 to 15 minutes	splash of balsamic vinegar
Kale	2-inch pieces	10 to 12 minutes (kale chips!)	drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic
Mushrooms	halved	30 to 35 minutes	splash of balsamic vinegar, chives
Onion	8 wedges	20 to 25 minutes	squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of zest
Parsnips	1-inch pieces	20 to 25 minutes	sprinkle of dried thyme
Potatoes (all varieties)	1-inch pieces or ½-inch spears	35 to 40 minutes	drizzle of ghee, sprinkle of fresh rosemary
Radishes	halved	15 to 20 minutes	squeeze of orange juice, sprinkle of fresh parsley
Spaghetti squash	halved	1 hour	drizzle of ghee, coarse salt
Tomatoes	quartered	30 to 40 minutes	drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, coarse salt
Turnips	1-inch pieces	45 to 50 minutes	drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, dried chives