Roasting vegetables brings out rich flavors and can be done with little fat. Tips include coating uniform-sized vegetables in oil, roasting at high heat, and avoiding combining different textures. Marinades with herbs, soy sauce, and garlic enhance flavors, while denser vegetables benefit from longer marinating. Leftovers can be used in sandwiches or as pizza toppings.
Roasting vegetables brings out a rich depth of flavor that other cooking methods can’t match. Not only do oven-roasted vegetables taste better, but they can be prepared with very little fat. Tips that help oven-roasted vegetables meet their true flavor potential include coating chunks of vegetables that have been cut to uniform size with oil and arranging them in a single layer with no overlap. By roasting them over a high enough heat and pulling them out just when the edges are crispy, you get perfect roasted side dishes every time.
With the exception of salad greens like cucumber and lettuce, nearly all other vegetables respond well to roasting. It’s better, however, to roast similar-textured vegetables together than to combine soft greens like tomatoes with denser greens like parsnips. Root vegetables and other denser vegetables, such as potatoes, yams and rutabagas, need to roast at higher temperatures for longer periods to truly release their salty sweetness. Softer ones, such as tomatoes, yellow squash, and eggplant, respond better to longer roasting times at lower temperatures.
Trying to brush or pour the oil evenly over the vegetables is not only difficult, but usually results in the vegetables being too oily to release their subtle roasted flavors. A helpful tip is to pour a small amount of olive or other oil into a self-sealing plastic bag and add a handful of greens. Then, the bag must be sealed and shaken to ensure that each piece is coated top and bottom. Chopped herbs, soy sauce, ginger, and other dry ingredients can be added for extra flavor.
While oven-roasted vegetables are mildly delicious, adding a few minced garlic cloves, some chopped onions, or thinly sliced garlic blends in beautifully with the original flavors. These extras can be added to the oil marinade or sprinkled on top before the vegetables end up in the oven. Vinegar, lemon or lime juice can also be used as well.
Soft vegetables don’t need a lot of time in the marinade. Denser and more stringy vegetables, however, can be left in the marinade for a few hours or overnight. This allows the marinade to mix its flavors deep into each piece of carrot, turnip, or other dense vegetable before roasting.
Oven-roasted vegetables are just as delicious, and they reheat beautifully. Some freeze well, but softer vegetables lose their texture in the freezer. Leftovers can be wrapped in pita, used as pizza toppings, or topped with noodles or rice noodles. A veggie sub sandwich with roasted eggplant, yellow squash, turnips, or other roasted delights won’t need a lot of butter, mayonnaise, or other fatty toppings. With a splash of lemon juice or a dollop of mustard, lunch becomes a gourmet pleasure.
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