Roasted Winter Vegetables

Roasting winter root vegetables caramelizes their natural sugars, producing a complex, toasty, and lightly sweet flavor. This recipe calls for a variety of winter vegetables, but you could use any combination, as long as you end up with about 12 cups total of bite-size pieces. This recipe can easily be cut in half if you’re not cooking for a crowd.

How to make Roasted Winter Vegetables

Ingredients

• carrots (peeled and sliced into 1-inch rounds) 2 cups
• sweet onion (chopped) 2 cups
• turnips (peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes) 2 cups
• parsnips (peeled and sliced into 1-inch thick rounds) 2 cups
• rutabaga (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes) 2 cups
• butternut squash (peeled and cubed) 2 cups
• garlic (peeled) 12 clove
• olive oil 2 tbsp
• salt 1/2 tsp
• minced fresh thyme 1 tbsp
• chopped fresh parsley 1/3 cup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the parsley and thyme.
2. Divide the vegetables between 2 large baking sheets, and spread them in a single layer on each sheet. Roast the vegetables for 45 to 60 minutes, turning and stirring them halfway through, until they are tender and lightly browned.
3. Add the vegetables to a serving bowl, and mix in the parsley and thyme.

Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe Tips

• To peel or not to peel? It’s up to you! I haven’t indicated whether or not to peel the vegetables in the recipe, because I think it’s a matter of personal preference. When I make this recipe, I typically leave the skins on the root veggies, making sure to scrub them well before roasting. If you prefer, you can peel more or all of the vegetables. The recipe will come out great no matter what.
• Don’t crowd the veggies. Another benefit of using two baking sheets is that you’ll have plenty of room to spread out the veggies. If they’re crammed together, they’ll steam in the oven, softening without browning. For the best browning (aka the best flavor!), make sure to arrange the vegetables in a single layer on each pan.
• Get ahead. I recommend roasting the root vegetables on the day you plan to serve them, but they’re delicious warm or at room temp, so feel free to bake them off a few hours before your meal. Drizzle them with the sage oil and top them with the crispy sage leaves just before serving.