I know roasted root vegetables don’t sound as exciting as three-layer cakes and frosted brownies. But, seriously? Don’t let the not-so-appetizing word “root” fool you: These are delicious and super easy. And at least a teeny bit healthier than brownies.
Predictably, you start with raw vegetables. I used a turnip, carrots, parsnips and a sweet potato, but you can mix it up however you’d like.
Full disclosure: I am pretty sure I’ve never had a turnip before, and I wasn’t a huge fan. Everything else was awesome, though.
The recipe suggested some kind of fancy herb salt, which I’m sure would be good… but I didn’t make it. A sprinkle of regular salt was fine for us. But that’s it! If you’ve never roasted vegetables before, you won’t believe how easy it is.
Roasted root vegetables (Adapted from Fast, Fresh & Green, serves 2-4)
1 1/2 to 2 pounds root vegetables (a mix of turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, parsnips, etc)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or more)
Kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 475F and line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Peel the carrots and parsnips and cut all the other root vegetables into small pieces — about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch cubes. The smaller the pieces, the quicker they’ll cook, but make sure all the pieces are pretty similar in size so they cook evenly.
Place all the vegetable pieces in a mixing bowl and add the olive oil and about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir to coat.
Spread the vegetables out evenly on the sheet pan — they may be somewhat crowded, but should all fit in one layer. Put the pan in the oven and roast until the vegetables are starting to brown on the edges and the and the vegetables are tender (you can test them with a fork). This will probably take about 22 to 28 minutes, depending on how small the pieces are.
Season with a bit more salt and serve warm.
*If you’re interested in the herb salt, combine equal parts (e.g. 1/2 teaspoon and 1/2 teaspoon) chopped fresh rosemary or thyme and kosher salt and rub together with your fingers. Allow to sit a few minutes before tossing with the roasted vegetables.