With so many delicious root vegetables now in season, tossing them all together for a good roast in the oven gives you an amazing, crispy on the outside, soft and earthy on the inside taste that’s a perfect side dish for the winter months.
Aromatic Roasted Root Vegetables
Makes: Approximately 5 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 to 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 to 50 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound sweet potatoes (2 or 3 medium)
1 pound parsnips (about 2 large)
1 pound carrots (about 4 large)
1 pound beets (about 4 medium)
1 large red onion
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 ½ teaspoons salt
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder
8 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed from stems
3 fresh rosemary sprigs, stems removed and roughly chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and beets.
Trim the ends from the beets and cut in half. Place cut side down and cut each half in half again. Then, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Transfer to a bowl and clean your cutting board.
Trim the ends from the sweet potatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Place each half cut side down and cut each cut each half in half lengthwise again. Then, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
Use a vegetable peeler to lightly peel the parsnips and carrots. Trim the ends from each parsnip and carrot and cut into 1-inch pieces. If your parsnips or carrots are particularly thick, split them in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
Peel the red onion and slice in half through the root end. Trim ends and cut into quarters. Then cut quarters crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
Drizzle beets with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt.
Transfer sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and red onion to an unlined sheet pan. Toss with remaining olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, cracked black pepper to taste, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary.
Add the beets to your sheet pan(s). The vegetables should be in a single layer (no overlapping) with space in between the pieces. If your sheet pan is not big enough to spread the vegetables into a single layer, divide them between two sheet pans.
Place sheet pan(s) in the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing once halfway through the cook time. Use a metal spatula to transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Garnish with additional fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes & Tips
The general rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of cooking oil for every 1 pound of vegetables. As long as you use that ratio, you can increase or decrease the amount of each type of root veggie to match your preferences.
Try your best to cut all the vegetables to roughly the same size to promote even cooking.
Keep your sheet pans unlined. Foil or parchment paper may make for easier cleanup, but they interfere with heat transfer and may keep your vegetables from crisping.
It may be tempting to fit all the vegetables in a single pan, but overlapping or crowding the vegetables on a sheet pan will promote steaming instead of roasting and prevent them from browning.
Variations
Flavor - try tossing the vegetables with a bit of ground cumin or chili powder in addition to or in place of garlic powder. For heat, you can add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Texture - stir in a handful of chopped raw nuts, such as walnuts, and/or dried fruit, such as cranberries as soon as you pull the sheet pans from the oven.
Nutrition Information
Per half cup
Calories: 104
Fat: 6 grams
Saturated Fat: Less than 1 gram
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 575 milligrams
Carbohydrate: 13 grams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Sugar: 6 grams
Added Sugar: 0 grams
Protein: 2 grams
