Nutritious Roasted Root Vegetables - Vegetarian's favorite meal

JD

October 02, 2019

0

healthy-food, tasty-food-recipe

Few techniques transform humble root vegetables into something rich and complex more effectively than roasting, and this recipe provides an easy way to roast several kinds at once. Roasting vegetables is a lot like roasting meat: You need high, dry heat and a low-sided pan large enough to accommodate the food without crowding, which would inhibit browning. You also need some fat. We liked butter for its great flavor, but you can also use vegetable oil or a combination of butter and oil. (Chicken or duck fat, if you have any, is also wonderful.) We also added whole garlic cloves and halved shallots, which added deep flavor to the finished dish. We liked a mix of hearty potatoes, sweet carrots, and peppery turnips in this recipe, but you can substitute other root vegetables such as parsnips, sweet potatoes, or rutabagas; just make sure you cut them into even pieces.

Ingredients

12 ounces carrots, peeled and cut into 1¼-inch pieces
12 ounces red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1¼-inch pieces
12 ounces turnips, peeled and cut into 1¼-inch pieces
4 shallots, halved and peeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Salt and pepper
1 garlic head, cloves separated and peeled

Procedure

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss carrots, potatoes, turnips, shallots, butter, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in bowl.
2. Spread vegetables into single layer on rimmed baking sheet and roast until vegetables are tender and well browned, about 45 minutes, adding garlic cloves during final 20 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations

Roasted Carrots and Red Onion with Balsamic Vinegar

Omit red potatoes and turnips. Increase carrots to 2 pounds. Substitute 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges through root end, for shallots. Add 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar to carrots with butter.

Roasted Turnips, Shallots, and Garlic with Rosemary

Omit red potatoes and carrots. Increase turnips to 1½ pounds. Add 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary to turnips with butter.