Roasted Vegetable Guide
A roasted vegetable guide for veggies you can’t wait to eat! Topics include: Brussels sprouts, broccoli and butternut squash.
Hello there friend, today I’d like to provide you with a humble roasted vegetable guide. The tips herein apply to many vegetables but I’m going to highlight how I roast brussel sprouts, butternut squash and broccoli/broccoli today.
I absolutely love roasted vegetables. They are healthy, versatile and most importantly: tasty. Roasting vegetables turns many a potentially nasty veggie into something delightful. Take for instance, brussel sprouts. Few vegetables have the potential for such high levels of grossness and I’m certain poorly prepared ones are exactly the type that Beverly Pepper had in mind when she wrote:
Vegetables are the most hated and loved, the most necessary and most mishandled of all foods. It’s not their fault. Trouble often begins in childhood when badly cooked, tasteless carrots or overcooked greens are mercilessly shoved between clamped teeth as a parent mutters, “Eat it (you little monster)- it’s good for you, darling.” [from Potluck Cookery].
I’d originally called this post “how to make brussel sprouts taste good without bacon or cream” but I’ve changed my mind and decided to focus on general tips that apply to most vegetables while highlighting three of my favorites. But I still want to make the point that brussel sprouts don’t need to bathed in cream and/or bacon fat to taste delicious. I have nothing against bacon or cream. At all. But I try to eat vegetables often so it’s been necessary for me to figure out how to make them taste good and be healthy at the same time.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
How to make brussel sprouts taste good
Firstly, slice the brussel sprouts! I just don’t find biting into a whole “head” of a brussel sprout to be very pleasant. Yes, you can cut it while eating, but roasting them while sliced allows carmelization in every bite.
The layers will separate a bit and you will end up with a lot of little leaves that will get extra crispy, some might burn but most shouldn’t and that’s all okay.
Secondly: drizzle with honey! I promise, this is what makes them really shine. It neutralizes the bitterness and helps them carmelize really nicely. You will see below that I also do this with my broccoli and although I’m not talking about cauliflower or zucchini in this post, I’ve been known to drizzle those with a little honey also.
Thirdly, cook them till soft. They don’t need to be crunchy for you to get health benefits from them. And any benefits that might diminish from extra cooking time will be made up for by the fact that overall, you will eat more vegetables.
And that’s pretty much it, aside from the obvious olive oil, pepper and salt. Sometimes I like to sprinkle on a little crushed red pepper or everyday seasoning from Trader Joe’s if I have it.
What to serve with Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Roasted brussel sprouts can be a great addition to complement any meal. I love pairing these brussel sprouts with this easy meal with Trader Joe’s Frozen Falafel. They’re also great next to heartier, meatier meals like this baked saucy chicken or with healthier, more vegetarian-friendly meals like roasted veggie bowls. Basically, you can interchange brussel sprouts and broccoli in any recipe and reach the same effect.
Broccoli or Broccolini
My tips for roasting broccoli are pretty much the same as brussel sprouts. Okay they’re exactly the same. I slice broccoli into thin slices, from the top of the tree to the stalk, add a drizzle of honey and make sure to roast until tender. I don’t slice broccolini because the stalks are usually smaller, but you are welcome to slice them as well.
Butternut Squash
Butternut squash has always been one of my favorites. Hence my world famous butternut squash lasagna 🙂
Roasting butternut squash is just as easy as the other two veggies we’ve discussed so far. All you need to do is: slice in half longways, remove seeds, evenly coat with olive or avocado oil on all sides, rub salt and pepper all over it, place cut-side down on a baking sheet (lined with foil or parchment) and place in the oven for 45 minutes.
So there you have it. Nothing fancy or groundbreaking but, I hope you found this roasted vegetable guide helpful and that it will inspire you to try the recipes below.
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OTHER RECIPES FOR ROASTED VEGGIES
ROASTED CARROTS WITH HONEY, GINGER AND GARLIC
SWEET AND SPICY ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
PrintRoasted Vegetables
Roasted vegetables you can’t wait to eat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Brussel sprouts
- 1 lb whole brussel sprouts
- 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 tsp honey
- pinch crushed red pepper or everyday seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
Broccoli or broccolini
- 2 heads broccoli or one bunch broccolini
- 2–3 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 tsp honey
- pinch crushed red pepper or generous sprinkles of everyday seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
Butternut squash
- 1 butternut squash
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste but be generous with it
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚ for any of the three veggies discussed in this post.
- Wash and clean all veggies before cutting.
Brussel sprouts
- Remove any outer leaves that look wilted or brown. Trim stems and place in a bowl of water. Swirl them around to remove excess dirt. Then slice in 1/4 inch slices, toss on a baking sheet with oil, spices and honey.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender and golden on the edges.
Broccoli
- Submerge broccoli head or florets into a large bowl of water to remove any dirt. Slice into 1/4 inch slices and toss with oil, spices and honey.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until tender and golden. Move to a lower rack if the tips of the florets start to get too brown.
Butternut
- Wash the squash and slice lengthwise. Remove the seeds and some or all of the goopy orange strands. Rub all over (skin included) with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Until very tender. I like to use tongs to squeeze one and if it squishes in on itself easily I know it’s ready.
