Roasting Vegetables

[eronn_actually]

Usually I'm a pretty decent cook, but properly roasting vegetables is one of those weird things that just seems to elude me!  Mine always seem to turn out either soggy or half-burnt.  Could some kind soul please walk me through how you roast vegetables in your oven, including what size you cut the vegetables, do you season them with olive oil beforehand, etc.

 

Thanks for any guidance you can give.

[LRM]

LOL, it took me a while to get the roasting thing down too. I roast everything at 400 degrees F. That includes carrots, parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower or any combination of veggies. I cut them to about the size I would if I were making a crudité. I sprinkle with salt, pepper and then toss them with olive oil. Spread on a cookie sheet. I roast for 20 minutes, then check them. Depending on how "done" they are, I continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes at a time, until they are to my liking - cooked, but still slightly crunchy. My average roast time is 30-40 minutes but it varies depending on the type of veggies and how full the cookie sheet is. Not exactly specific information, but I hope it helps.

[SpinSpin]

For me 450 is the sweet spot temp wise when roasting veg. I cut everything into approx bite size pieces, brussel sprouts in half, leave smallish baby carrots whole, the big ones, cut in half. I toss everything in melted coconut oil or ghee and season with salt, pepper and chopped garlic. I let it go for 30 minutes and then check. Hubby loves broccoli and cauliflower 'frizzed' and really crispy. Try not to put too much on a roasting pan, you really only want 1 layer otherwise, the veg sweats rather than roasting. OH and I find roasting mushrooms separately works best--mushrooms really sweat and make everything soggy.

[CMich76]

I roast vegetables daily, and agree that 400-450 works best, and you can vary it to coordinate with other things you're cooking. Preheat your baking sheet and you will get brown crispy goodness on the bottom.

The BEST advice I've gotten for roasting is that your veggies cannot be dry enough. I actually do not wash anything I'm roasting, because any moisture can make is soft and bitter. It makes a HUGE difference.