Here’s Your Foolproof Guide To Roasting Vegetables

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Roasting isn’t as intimidating as it sounds. Anyone can do it. The process of slow roasting brings out all of the natural flavors of your produce through caramelization. As long as you have a roasting pan, olive oil, salt and pepper, you can roast. Here’s your guide to roasting all of the veggies.

Broccoli

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Temperature: 450 degrees Fahrenheit

Time: 20 minutes

Steamed broccoli and oven-roasted broccoli are two totally different worlds. When you want speed, steaming is fine. When you want flavor and texture, roasting is the way to go. Once you cut the broccoli off of the stalk and into florets, mix them with olive oil, salt and pepper and transfer them to a baking sheet. Try not to crowd them or layer them on top of each other. The longer you roast the florets, the deeper the color will be and the sweeter they’ll become.

Green Beans

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Temperature: 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Time: 20 to 25 minutes

To roast a bunch of green beans, you’ll want to cut off any weird looking ends, give them a good wash, pat them dry and spread them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle the green beans with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them until they start to look slightly shriveled with some brown spots (AKA caramelization).

Mushrooms

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Temperature: 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Time: 45 minutes

The thing with mushrooms is that they release a bunch of water when they cook. For this reason, always buy double the amount you think you need.

Toss the mushrooms with olive oil, salt and pepper, and then lay them out on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Feel free to toss any fresh sprigs of herbs you have on top, too. Roast the mushrooms for 15 minutes, drain off the excess liquid and return them to the oven to roast for a final 30 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and toss them with any extra ingredients you might have like tamari, chives, tarragon or sesame oil. Yum.

Butternut Squash

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Temperature: 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Time: 25 to 30 minutes

When fall comes around and all of your squash cravings hit, you know what to do. Take a whole squash, peel it, scoop out the seeds and cut it into one-inch cubes. Toss the cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper (and maybe even some cinnamon and nutmeg if you have it on hand).

Lay the cubes out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Let them roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until the squash is tender, turning the cubes about halfway through the process to avoid uneven cooking. You can follow the same exact protocol with a summer squash or an acorn squash if that’s what you’re working with.

Zucchini

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Temperature: 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Time: 8 to 10 minutes

Zucchini, just like mushrooms, are packed with a ton of water and they’ll shrink significantly in the oven. Cut the zucchini up into cubes about a half-inch thick. Toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay out the cubes on a sheet pan and roast the zucchini until it starts to develop some golden brown spots and becomes slightly shriveled.

Sweet Potatoes

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Temperature: 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Time: 30 to 35 minutes

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into pieces that are about one inch thick. Toss the potatoes with olive oil, sea salt and pepper and lay them on a baking sheet. Roast them until they’re tender and browned. Give them a drizzle of maple syrup and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon at the end. Tahini makes another awesome topping for roasted sweet potatoes.

Bell Peppers

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Temperature: 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Time: 40 minutes

Roasted peppers make the ultimate sandwich topper or a healthy snack. You can roast them on high heat to get that charred look, but slow is always better. Roast the peppers for 20 minutes, give them a half turn and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

The skin should be charred and soft, and the peppers should look slightly collapsed. You can always place the peppers under the broiler for a little bit of extra color. Once they’re cooked, slice up the peppers however you want and mix them with extra olive oil and sea salt.

Onions

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Temperature: 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Time: 30 to 45 minutes

Out of all the ingredients that benefit from roasting, onions take the cake. The longer you roast onions, the sweeter they become. And you want the onions to slowly develop their flavors without becoming charred too quickly.

Peel the onions, removing both the stem and root ends, and take off that thin papery peel. You can leave small onions whole and cut anything larger into halves or quarters. Toss the onions with olive oil and sea salt, and arrange them cut-side down in a roasting pan or sheet pan. Bake the onions for about 30 minutes (turning one or twice throughout) until they’re tender and slightly browned. Drizzle the onions with a little bit of balsamic at the end for a sweet and tangy kick.

Brussels Sprouts

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Temperature: 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Time: 45 minutes

Toss a bunch of Brussels sprouts in a bag with olive oil, salt and ground black pepper, and lay them out into a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast them until they become dark brown, shaking the pan about every 10 minutes so they cook evenly. The total time may differ depending on how much you like the charred taste of Brussels sprouts. You can always adjust the seasoning about 10 or 15 minutes before they’re finished, or at the very end. Finish them off with a pinch of sea salt, a drizzle of balsamic and a little bit of honey to cut the bitter taste.

Outside of these core roasting vegetables, you can use your best judgment when it comes to raising or lowering the temperature and shortening or lengthening the time. Slow roasting is both a healthier alternative to frying or sautéeing and a more flavorful option than steaming. Get yourself a quality sheet pan and roast away!

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