A complete guide to oven roasted vegetables, including a handy cheatsheet for ideal roasting time for any vegetables, storing tips and serving ideas!
Ingredients
1bunch asparagusNote 1
1-2yellow summer squash
1-2zucchini
1-2bell peppers
1head cauliflower
4-5carrots
3-4tablespoonsolive oil
1tablespoonza'atar seasoningor any seasoning of your choice (Note 2)
1teaspoonsmoked paprika
1teaspooncoarse kosher salt
1teaspoonground black pepper
1teaspoongarlic powder
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
To prepare the vegetables, trim the ends of asparagus and cut into bite-size pieces. Trim the ends of yellow summer squash and zucchini and slice into half-moon shapes. Core the bell peppers and slice into thin strips. Peel carrots and cut them into ½-inch thick slices, slightly diagonally. Cut cauliflower into bite-size pieces.
To roast the veggies, arrange cauliflower and carrots on one baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle za'atar seasoning and paprika. Toss to combine and make sure the vegetables are all in one layer.
On another baking sheet, combine asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash and bell peppers. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss to combine and make sure the vegetables are all in one layer.
Place the baking sheet with quick-cooking vegetables on the middle rack, and the baking sheet with carrots and cauliflower on the lower rack.
Roast the soft vegetables for 15-20 minutes, and hard vegetables for about 25-40 minutes, tossing once half way through. After removing the soft vegetables, transfer the hard vegetables to the middle rack to finish cooking.
The vegetables should be fork-tender, and lightly charred.
Notes
Note 1: When roasting vegetables, I divide them into 2 camps:
Hard vegetables - root vegetables, like carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
Soft vegetables - asparagus, bell peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, summer squashes, onions, etc.
TIP: Pair quick-cooking vegetables together on one sheet, and hard vegetables on a separated sheet.Feel free to swap any vegetables with what you have on hand. Read the article below for more specific roasting times for variety of different vegetables.Note 2: You can use any kind of seasoning you like. Za'atar is my current favorite and it's very versatile.Note 3: If you have fewer vegetables with varying cook time, you can use method #2 described in the post below.How to store: Store cooled vegetables in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I don't recommend freezing roasted vegetables.