Vegetables cooked in the oven is one of the easiest and tastiest side dishes you can make for dinner. The best part is that it’s simple to customize oven roasted vegetables by mixing and matching veggies with different seasonings.
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Roasting is an excellent way to cook keto vegetables because they caramelize and develop rich, sweet flavors. It's my favorite way to make veggies taste delicious. They are the perfect side dish that even picky eaters can enjoy.
Oven roasted veggies take less than 10 minutes to prepare. The high heat of a hot oven causes the vegetables to become dry and crisp, which also helps to preserve many of the nutrients. The result is crispy on the outside but still juicy on the inside.
Why you'll love it
The benefits of oven roasted vegetables are plentiful. Not only do they taste great, but they are an easy healthy food to prepare that provides a lot of nutritional value.
The process of roasting the vegetable draws out the natural sugars and intensifies its natural flavor. In addition, roasting vegetables can be an affordable way to provide a variety of nutrients that you may not have been aware were essential for good health.
Many people do not know how to cook vegetables properly, and end up either undercooking them or overcooking them. This leads to a vegetable that is too tough or too soggy.
In cooking vegetables, the goal is to make sure they are tender but still have a little bit of a bite. A good way of achieving this is by roasting the vegetables in the oven.
Ingredients
The best thing about roasting vegetables is that you don't need many ingredient to get a delicious side dish.
Vegetables
Just about any type of vegetable can be roasted. But some low-carb favorites are brussels sprouts, green beans, bell peppers, eggplant, and cauliflower florets. Other kinds of vegetables work well too like summer squash and winter squash. Butternut squash is a great alternative to sweet potatoes because it has less carbs.
Oil
The best oil for roasting is olive oil. But you can use avocado oil or coconut oil too.
Seasonings
For a simple dish, just sprinkle on some salt and ground black pepper. Add additional herbs and spices to give the dish a more complex flavor.
Note: You'll find the exact amounts for my favorite dish in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Quick tips
- The key to roasting vegetables is roasting them for an extended period of time. This gives them time to release moisture and lets them absorb the flavor of the spices you use to flavor them.
- You can also toss them in olive oil with herbs or spices before putting them in the oven for that roasted goodness. To enhance the flavor of your vegetables, add spices to the vegetables before roasting.
- Cook whole onions slowly until they're soft and fragrant, then dice them up for a side dish that's packed with flavor.
Instructions
The first step is to prepare the vegetables by washing them thoroughly. For root vegetables, you should also remove any undesirable outer layers, leaving only the inner layers of skin and root. Some vegetables taste better roasted with their skins on.
Then, cut the vegetables to the size you want. Smaller pieces of vegetables will cook faster and more evenly, and will absorb the flavors of the spices you are using better.
Harder vegetables, such as radishes and turnips, can be sliced up into sticks on a mandoline or very thin with a knife. You can also use a knife to lightly score the surface of the vegetables for a quick, clean look.
Toss them in olive oil with herbs or spices before putting them in the oven adds extra roasted goodness. You can also brush on the oil and sprinkle the spices on right before roasting to enhance the flavor of your vegetables.
When you are ready to cook, arrange the vegetables on a baking sheet. You can place the vegetables in a single layer if you like, or you can pack them in tightly.
Don’t use greasier baking sheets. You want the vegetables to brown. You can use different types of flavorings to enhance the flavor of the vegetables as they roast.
️ Serving suggestions
The cooked veggies can be eaten as a side dish or even made into a sandwich.
These low-carb roasted vegetables also make terrific keto sides to any main meat. I like to serve roasted eggplant and peppers with a grilled steak.
Try adding them puréed into soups. Roasted brussels sprout soup is a classic example. They are also tasty in baked dishes so give them a try in your next chicken and vegetable casserole.
FAQs
Before getting to the recipe, I wanted to cover some of the most common questions that people have about roasting veggies.
Different vegetables require different roasting temperatures. For example, potatoes should be roasted at around 400°F while eggplants should be roasted at around 450°F.
It depends on the type of vegetable. Vegetables with a high water content, like zucchini and summer squash, roast faster than vegetables that are more dense, like carrots. For best results when roasting vegetables, cut them into uniform pieces so they cook evenly.
If you're roasting vegetables in the oven, it's best to not to cover them with a layer of foil. Covering keeps the moisture inside the vegetables and prevent them from drying out but it making it more difficult for them to brown.
When you roast vegetables, they release a lot of liquid. If the vegetables aren't cooked long enough to dry out, they'll turn to mush.
Oven roasting vegetables is a great way to add flavor and make them more crispy. You can do this by drizzling on olive oil, salt, and pepper before placing them in the oven. The oven will also slowly roast the vegetables, which will allow for a more even cooking and caramelizing of the sugars in the vegetables.
Related recipes
If you want to try a few specific kinds of oven roasted vegetables, here's a few dishes you may want to try.
- Oven roasted artichoke hearts is a side dish that will blow away your guests and create an unforgettable dinner.
- Oven roasted asparagus is a delicious and healthy side that only takes about 20 minutes to cook.
- Roasted radishes are a good choice when you want to balance out the buttery richness of main courses like steak or turkey.
- Oven roasted broccoli and cauliflower is a tasty side that cooks up quickly.
- Roasted jicama with green beans combines two amazing veggies in one dish.
- Roasted celery root and radishes can be used as a keto-friendly alternative to potatoes.
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Recipe
Oven Roasted Vegetables
Instructions
- Cut eggplant and green pepper into slices.
- Salt eggplant and let sit to drain some moisture for about 30-60 minutes, if desired.
- Place eggplant and green peppers on greased or lined baking pan (I used a silicon Silpat mat) with skin side down.
- Brush vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in preheated 400 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until soft and browned.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First published on September 22, 2011. Updated on January 16, 2022, with clearer images and additional recipe information.
Shirin
Hi Lisa
I made it this roasted vegetables .
So delicious
Thank you
Lisa MarcAurele
You're welcome Shirin. Roasting vegetables does bring out the natural sugars which gives them a wonderful flavor.
Emily Kemp
I love roasted aubergine especially with roast chicken!
Doris
Can a person do zucchini instead of eggplant
Lisa
Absolutely!
Mike
This is great, just the kind of thing we eat and promote all should eat, including the kids. We even turned our fast food lovin kids into advocates of a paleo style diet. Getting the whole family involved in preperation and the eating is key.