Simple Roasted Root Vegetables

Batch cooking a bunch of root veggies at the beginning of the week is the perfect way to make use of cold weather produce and ensure you’ve got something to eat for a few days. Here I show you how to ensure your veggies are roasted to perfection every time- making meal prep a breeze.

Roasting veggies is one of those things that is super easy to do, but the results might not always be what you’re hoping for. With the wrong oven temperature or equipment, your veggies can come out soggy or, alternatively, burnt to a crisp.

I know because I’ve been there. But ever since completing my plant-based chef training with Rouxbe cooking school, my roasted veggies turn out well pretty much all the time. And lucky for you, I’m spilling all the secrets: we’ll review equipment and technique, and then I’ll give you an easy recipe to get you started. Just consider this your roasted veggie pro tutorial.

Equipment

To get perfectly roasted veggies, you first need a proper sheet pan- one that’s heavy weight and NOT non-stick. You want one that’s light colored (silver, not black). I got mine from Restaurant City in Providence, RI, a restaurant supply store that’s open to the public- good quality pans at low prices.

Second, you’ll need to line your pans with parchment paper. Do not use foil or a bare pan- the veggies will stick.

Third, you’re going to need a medium to large sized mixing bowl. That’s what you’ll use to toss your veggies in olive oil, salt and pepper and spices. I even like to use a large mixing spoon when I do this, to make sure all the veggies are coated.

Technique

Perfectly roasted veggies require proper technique. It’s a little extra effort but will make a big difference in your happiness when it comes time to eat.

1. Prep veggies

   Wash, peel (if necessary) and dry the veggies.

2. Chop veggies into uniform sized pieces

   We do this so that they can all roast evenly. As a rule of thumb, the following root veggies should all be cut into 1-inch pieces for the recipe I’m giving you here: beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, rutabaga, turnips, and sweet potatoes.

3. Toss veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper, and any other spices (if using)

   Before you begin: make sure your veggies are dry! Oil cannot adhere to wet veggies. In terms of the oil, you don’t need a lot of it, but you do need to coat the veggies. This will help them brown on the outside but stay moist on the inside. Oh! And those trendy cooking videos where you see someone drizzling olive oil on a sheet pan filled with veggies, and everything looks so beautiful and cool? That’s fantasy land. Place all your cut veggies in a mixing bowl, drizzle the oil in there, and then toss till they’re evenly coated (but not swimming in oil). When you’re just about ready to get the veggies into the oven, toss them with some salt (it helps bring out the natural flavor of the veggies as they roast) and any other dry spices. Be careful with fresh herbs or garlic. They’ll likely burn. Wait and add those towards the end.

4. Arrange veggies Evenly on a parchment-lined Sheet pan

   Leave any extra oil behind in the mixing bowl, and don’t forget to give your veggies some space! We want them to be a little crispy on the outside, but soft and moist on the inside. Crowd the veggies on the pan and they’ll end up steaming each other with their natural moisture. And you’ll have mushy roasted vegetables.

5. Preheat your oven to 475 F

   This might seem a little hot- or at least hotter than you’ve read in other places. If you were roasting larger veggies like a whole potato, a half of a squash, or even large potato chunks, you’d need to lower the heat (to somewhere around 350F-400F). But for roasting bite-sized (1-inch) veggies, you want your oven preheated to 475F. For best results use the middle rack of the oven. If you’ve got multiple sheets (which you probably do if you’re prepping a week of veggies), then you’ve got a couple options. You can try to squeeze two pans on the middle rack of the oven. You can roast the pans separately. Or, you can place one pan in the middle (or upper middle) and another on the bottom, and when it comes time to flip the veggies, also flip the locations of the sheet pans. This is the most time-efficient but won’t produce the best results.

6. Roast veggies together that have the same roast-time requirements

   Different root veggies require different roasting times. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend all day with the oven. You’ll still use the same temperature, just use different pans for veggies with different roast times. Some guidelines, keeping in mind that everyone’s oven is a little different:

   Beets: 8-10 minutes, flip, then 10 more minutes or until tender.

   Carrots, Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes: 8-10 minutes, flip, then 3-5 more minutes or until tender.

   Potatoes, Rutabaga and Turnips: 10-12 minutes, flip, then 5-8 more minutes or until tender.

7. Flip veggies about halfway through cooking time

   This will ensure the veggies are browned on all sides and cooked evenly. Also, when you think they’re done roasting, be sure to check one and add on more time if necessary.

8. Allow veggies to cool completely before storing leftovers in the fridge

   Or else they’ll get wet and super mushy.

Ok. Ready to try this?

Ingredients

• 1 Large parsnip

• 1 Extra-large carrot

• 2 Small/medium sweet potatoes (or one large one)

• 1 1/2T olive oil

• 1/2t sea salt or to taste

• Black pepper to taste

*Tip: you can sub different vegetables if you prefer. Just follow the cooking times described above.

Directions

Preheat oven to 475F

Wash, peel, and dry vegetables. Then cut into 1-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, toss and coat with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.

Arrange on one or more heavy sheet pans lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, flip veggies, then return to oven for another 3 to 5 minutes. Check for doneness.

Add more salt or pepper if you wish, and serve with a variety of different meals.

Enjoy!