Roasted vegetables are an easy winter favourite. Usually, home cooks chop their favourite veggies, toss them in oil, and then roast until they’re soft, fragrant, and beginning to caramelise. If you’re getting bored with your regular roasted vegetable routine, these three easy ideas will add excitement to your classic kitchen standby.
Roast Them in Sauce
A good sauce takes roasted vegetables to a whole new level. Why not roast your favourite vegetables as you usually do, but remove them from the oven 10 minutes early? Toss the nearly-done veggies with the sauce of your choice and return them to the oven for the last 10 minutes. The sauce will permeate every nook and cranny, and the flavour will intensify as any water in the sauce evaporates in the oven. Cauliflower, potato, and leek are amazing when roasted with a homemade romesco sauce, while broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers are delicious when baked in a sweet-and-spicy soy sauce glaze.
Turn Them into Soup
Any roasted vegetable can become a smooth or chunky soup. For a warming winter vegetable soup, add roasted butternut squash, parsnip, celery root, carrots, and garlic to a pot and cover with your favourite vegetable stock. Bring the soup to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Then, use an immersion blender to puree everything into a smooth soup that is perfect for grilled-cheese sandwich dipping. If you prefer a chunky soup, try combining roasted red onion, sweet potato, and corn with canned black beans and diced tomatoes for a Mexican-inspired dish.
Eat Them for Breakfast
Although people tend to eat roasted vegetables for lunch and dinner, it’s also possible to add them into your family’s breakfast rotation. One easy way to eat roasted vegetables for breakfast is in a frittata. Throw your favourite roasted vegetables into greased glass pie dish and cover with lightly scrambled eggs (and grated cheese, if desired). Bake until the eggs have set, allow the frittata to cool in the dish for 10 minutes, then slice and serve. Try a frittata with roasted mushrooms, red onion, and red potatoes accented by feta cheese. Alternately, add finely diced roasted vegetables (try zucchini and red pepper) into your favourite cornmeal muffin recipe for a grab-and-go breakfast packed with nutrition and flavour.
Roasting vegetables is the perfect way to spend a chilly autumn or winter afternoon in your home kitchen. Let the heat of the oven warm your home, and the smell of roasted vegetables draw your family to the table with these three easy, delicious roasted vegetable techniques.