Roasted root vegetables are one of the easiest side dishes you can make. Toss pomegranate sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and beets in a cider vinaigrette and toast until tender and caramelized. Great for holidays or cozy weeknights!
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One of my favorite side dishes for any holiday meal is roasted root vegetables. Parsnips, carrots, rutabagas, turnips, sweet potatoes – they’re all so good!
They’re also packed with vitamins and beta-carotene. So they may be starchy, but they’re also good for you. (As if I need encouragement, you can’t keep me away from them!)
The one thing about this sweet vegetable that’s so perfect for caramelizing is that it loves a little acidity to spice up its flavor. That’s why you’ll find orange glazed carrots and roasted beets with balsamic vinegar.
We took a similar approach with this concoction of roasted root vegetables, tossing them in a highly acidic vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and some brown sugar before roasting.
The vinegar intensifies the flavor of the vegetables and balances the natural sweetness. So good!
Other great vegetables for roasting
Feel free to add or omit veggies in the recipe according to your taste.
- Whole garlic cloves
- celery
- swedes
- yucca
- fennel bulbs
- beets
Achieve good caramelization of your root vegetables
To get a good caramelization of your vegetables, it is important to fry on high heat until the vegetables are tender and have a little char around the edges. Be sure to cut the vegetables to similar sizes to cook them evenly. Check them halfway to rotate the pan, toss if needed, and also adjust the oven temperature. Every oven is different, so you may need to adjust the temperature to cook your veggies perfectly.
Prepare root vegetables in advance
Are you making this for a dinner party or holiday dinner? Prepare the vegetables ahead of time, toss with the oil and spices, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Just wait until just before baking to toss in the apple cider vinegar to avoid creating pickles.
Alternatively, you can roast the veggies a day or two in advance. Then heat them in a 350°F oven in a sheet pan until heated through, usually about 10 minutes.
How to store and reheat roasted vegetables
Roasted vegetables can be served hot, but taste great at room temperature. As you wish!
You can reheat the veggies in the microwave, but you’ll lose that nice crispness around the edges. They will still taste good but will be a little limp. Try a toaster oven or air fryer set at 350°F and heat until hot.
5 recipes with roasted vegetables
- Seared harissa salmon in a skillet with vegetables
- Pan fried chicken with root vegetables
- Roasted butternut squash, radicchio and onions
- Roasted root vegetables with tomatoes and kale
- Hearty roasted vegetables and chicken stew
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Apple Cider Vinaigrette Roasted Root Vegetables
If your root vegetables are competing with an oven roast for a holiday dinner, simply prep them and pop them in the oven to reheat while the roast rests before serving.
We use parsnips, golden beets, carrots, and sweet potatoes for this recipe, but you can use any of your favorite root vegetables.
This recipe serves 6 to 8 people and requires two roasters. You can easily halve the recipe.
ingredients
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1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
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1/2 Cup Extra virgin olive oil
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3 tablespoon dark brown sugar
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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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Freshly ground black peppertaste
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4 Middle golden turnips, peeled and cut into thick slices
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4 Middle carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1 to 2 inch sticks
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3 Middle Garnet Sweet Potatoescut lengthwise into 1 to 2 inch sticks
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4 Middle parsnips, cut lengthways into 1 to 2 inch pieces, any tough woody core removed
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1 big Red onion, thick cut
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3/4 teaspoon Thyme, dry or fresh
method
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
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Mix the vegetables with vinegar, oil and spices:
In a large bowl (with enough room for all the vegetables), combine the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the vegetables—beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and onions—to the bowl and mix together.
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Spread the vegetables on greased trays:
Line two large roasting pans or sturdy baking trays with aluminum foil. Spread the root vegetables in a single layer on the pans. with some distance in between. Make sure the vegetables aren’t crowded together and allow the hot oven air to circulate around them (this will help brown them).
Pour the remaining vinaigrette over the root vegetables in the pans.
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Fry the vegetables:
Place the vegetables in the oven and roast at 450°F for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the roast (and swapping the positions of the bottom and top racks). Cook until the vegetables are well browned and caramelized around the edges.
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Sprinkle with thyme and serve:
Remove from the oven and carefully loosen the root vegetables from the foil with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with thyme. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 240 | calories |
| 14g | Fat |
| 28g | carbohydrates |
| 2g | protein |
