Vegetable roasting guide for beginners

Roasting vegetables is one of the easiest ways to cook vegetables that gets overlooked very often. You can add tons of flavors while roasting vegetables, not to mention that you only need 5 minutes of your time. Almost every vegetable can be roasted, and there are dozens of seasoning options. You can make vegetables even better if you choose the right veggie types and know which oil to use. This guide will have a closer look at these two essentials.

Choosing the right vegetables is the main element of a delicious roasted dish. The one you choose has the biggest impact on what dish you will get at the end. The most popular vegetables for roasting are root ones. They are more starchy and fibrous, they have a nice texture and a bit of crunch. Watery vegetables and leaves aren’t the best for roasting.

Make sure you cut vegetables in even pieces so that everything will be roasted evenly. They will look more delicious, too. Basically, you can roast everything you want. Just give a try to one piece and see if you like the result.

Below you can find the list of my favorite vegetables:

● beets
● carrots
● asparagus
● beets
● peppers
● onions
● broccoli
● fennel
● cabbage
● parsnips
● rutabaga
● cauliflower
● squash
● green beans
● sweet potatoes
● mushrooms, even though they aren’t vegetables, some of them are perfect for roasting

The second big part of delicious roasted vegetables is oil. It causes tasty browning of veggies by heating up with the energy of the oven. Oil helps transfer heat energy to your vegetables and gives them more flavors. When your vegetables are brown, the process of caramelization is over. Oil is one of the main reasons you roast your vegetables. You can simply toss cut veggies in a bowl with the oil and season them with anything you like before putting them on a pan.

There are several simple tricks to help you choose the right oil, and the most important criteria is the flavor. You need to keep your oven below 425F, otherwise you can burn your vegetables. Just make sure every piece is coated in oil. The oil is necessary to help the seasoning stick to veggies and transfer all flavors to them.

After experimenting with many oils, I have found my favorites:

● Refined pure oils give less flavor but can handle high temperatures.
● Extra virgin olive oil gives any vegetables a great flavor but can only tolerate low temperatures.
● Peanut oil if better for high temperatures.
● Avocado oil is perfect for high temps, too.
● Sesame oil for an Asian flavor.
● Walnut oil for a nut flavor.
● Canola oil for a higher cooking temperature and more flavor.
● Refined coconut oils for less flavor and better heat resistance.
● Virgin coconut oil for more flavor and low temperatures.

The more refined the oil you choose, the less flavor you get but you will be able to cook at higher temperatures. Coconut oil is one of my favorites for root vegetables while others are better for leafy greens.