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This easy Roasted Root Vegetables recipe is the best way to eat the rainbow! The natural sugars in the vegetables caramelize to kid-friendly territory via this sheet pan side dish idea.
Clean out your refrigeratorโs vegetable drawer with this sheet pan side dish recipe. After investing just 15 minutes of prep time, youโll not only make the most of the random pieces of extra produce you have lying around, but also coax out their tasty and crowd-pleasing natural sugars.
Once you master how to roast root vegetables, you wonโt want to serve them any other way.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Root vegetables: Or any sturdy vegetables you enjoy or need to use up.
- Olive oil: A good rule of thumb for any roasted vegetable recipe? Estimate 1 tablespoon of oil for every 1 pound of vegetables. Donโt skimp; a coating of oil will add a subtle rich flavor and help the vegetables crisp in the oven.
- Garlic: At least 3 cloves; more if you like (I often do)! Roasting tames any bite so you just taste a luscious, mildly sweet flavor.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas, and carrots, and drizzle with olive oil.
- Arrange vegetables on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with garlic and rosemary or thyme, then season to taste with salt and pepper. (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ยฝ teaspoon pepper.)
- Roast until vegetables are tender inside (when pierced with a paring knife) and browned around the outsides, about 60 minutes. Stir the roasted vegetables occasionally to ensure even browning.ย
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes six 1-cup side dish servings of Roasted Root Vegetables. Just add a protein-rich entree and some bread, if desired, and you have a well-rounded dinner menu.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The carrots and parsnips can be peeled and cut up to 2 weeks in advance (store separately in water in the refrigerator). Sweet potatoes can be peeled, cut, and stored in water in the refrigerator up to 4 days in advance. Rutabagas and turnips can be peeled, cut, and stored in water in the refrigerator up to 2 days in advance.
- Allow for space: For that crispy, crusty exterior that make roasted root vegetables roasted, they need their space, or theyโll end up steaming rather than roasting. Start with one baking sheet and spread the vegetables out in one even layer. If the vegetables are touching, pull out another baking sheet and split them between the two.
- Spice things up: In addition to the garlic and instead of the rosemary, oregano or thyme, you could add some kick to these Roasted Root Veggies by tossing them with Greek Seasoning, Zaโatar, Italian Seasoning, or Cajun Seasoning along with the oil, salt, and pepper just prior to cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Root vegetables are edible plants that grow underground. They include staples such as potatoes, carrots, onions, red onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, and red beets as well as radishes, fennel, celery root, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, ginger, and turmeric.
With the exception of garlic and onions (which must be peeled), peeling other root vegetables is simply a culinary preference. The taste, texture, and nutritional content of root vegetables can be tweaked depending on whether or not you peel.
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Roasted Root Vegetables
Ingredientsย
- 1 pound sweet potatoes or yams, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 pound shallots peeled (about 8 to 10 shallots)
- 1/2 pound parsnips peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/2 pound rutabagas or turnips, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/2 pound carrots peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic chopped (or more to taste)
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary or fresh thyme, chopped, or ยผ teaspoon dried
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructionsย
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
- In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas, and carrots, drizzle with olive oil.
- Arrange vegetables on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with garlic and rosemary or thyme, then season to taste with salt and pepper. (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ยฝ teaspoon pepper.)
- Roast until vegetables are tender when pierced with a paring knife and browned around the edges, about 60 minutes. Stir vegetables occasionally to ensure even browning.ย
Notes
- Sweet potatoes or yams, shallots, parsnips, rutabagas or turnips, carrots: Or any sturdy vegetables you enjoy or need to use up.
- Olive oil: A good rule of thumb for any roasted vegetable recipe? Estimate 1 tablespoon of oil for every 1 pound of vegetables. Donโt skimp; a coating of oil will add a subtle rich flavor and help the vegetables crisp in the oven.
- Garlic: At least 3 cloves; more if you like (I often do)! Roasting tames any bite so you just taste a luscious, mildly sweet flavor.