Description
Festive holiday roasted vegetables blend Mediterranean and seasonal flavors into a colorful, nutritious side dish. Crisp edges and caramelized surfaces promise a delightful culinary experience you won’t want to miss.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Vegetables:
- 2 cups (300 g) brussels sprouts, halved
- 2 cups (300 g) butternut squash, diced
- 2 large carrots, sliced into rounds
- 1 large red onion, sliced into wedges
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
Seasoning and Spices:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
Optional Toppings:
- ½ cup (50 g) dried cranberries or pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup (25 g) chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Arrange oven racks to create optimal roasting space and preheat to 400F (200C). Cover two expansive baking trays with parchment paper, ensuring complete surface coverage.
- Carefully slice Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, carrots, red onion, and red bell pepper into uniform, bite-sized pieces to guarantee even cooking and attractive presentation.
- Transfer chopped vegetables into a capacious mixing vessel, creating a vibrant medley of autumn-inspired colors and textures.
- Generously cascade olive oil across the vegetable ensemble, allowing each piece to glisten with a delicate sheen.
- Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and smoked paprika over the vegetables. Gently tumble ingredients together, ensuring comprehensive and balanced seasoning distribution.
- Methodically arrange vegetable pieces across baking trays, maintaining strategic spacing to prevent overcrowding and promote optimal caramelization.
- Slide trays into preheated oven, rotating midway through cooking process to encourage uniform browning. Roast approximately 25-30 minutes until edges turn crisp and golden.
- Once vegetables reach desired tenderness, carefully extract from oven and transfer to an elegant serving platter.
- Embellish with scattered dried cranberries or vibrant pomegranate arils, introducing delightful bursts of sweet-tart flavor.
- Garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts, adding textural contrast and nutty complexity.
- Optional: Delicately drizzle honey or maple syrup for enhanced sweetness and glossy finish.
- Present immediately as a sumptuous accompaniment to holiday gatherings, showcasing the season’s bountiful harvest.
Notes
- Prep vegetables uniformly for even roasting, cutting them into similar-sized pieces to guarantee consistent cooking and beautiful caramelization.
- Prevent vegetable overcrowding by using two baking sheets, ensuring each piece gets crispy edges and roasts instead of steaming.
- Consider swapping ingredients for dietary needs: use gluten-free spices for celiac diets, replace honey with maple syrup for vegan options, or substitute nuts with seeds for nut allergies.
- Elevate flavor complexity by experimenting with different herb combinations like rosemary and sage, or adding a splash of balsamic vinegar for deeper caramelization and tangy undertones.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg