When you think about root vegetables, your thoughts might first veer toward those unique vegetables seemingly served over the holidays — parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, and the like. Maybe you think of a common food staple such as carrots, popular in everything from crudité platters to salads and snacks (and found all year long). Maybe you go so far as to consider starches — yams and sweet and roasting or baking potatoes (also found year-round) — though they’re not always thought of as vegetables, even though they are. But there’s so much more to the category.

Contrary to many menus — and eating habits — root vegetables can be found throughout the year, with varieties peaking at various times, from tender spring radishes and carrots to late-spring new potatoes and summer beets, to autumn and winter celery root and sweet potatoes, along with parsnips, turnips, and rutabagas.

And while root vegetables can be prepared in a variety of ways, might I suggest a favorite of mine? Roasting. It’s one of the oldest cooking methods around and also one of the simplest. And it’s almost magical in the way it transforms ingredients, taming raw notes and tenderizing and layering the vegetables with rich, almost earthy caramel notes.

Did I mention simple?

While most cooking methods — sautéing, grilling, boiling, etc. — require almost constant supervision, with roasting, the vegetables — or any other ingredient — are spread out on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and placed in the oven, giving it all over to the oven to work its magic.

While you may associate roasting most often with meat, it works particularly well with vegetables, giving them a complex depth of flavor so they can work even as a main dish (good to know particularly if you’re looking for vegan and vegetarian options).

Continue reading below for recipes and suggestions to use as inspiration for what you may have on hand or can find at the markets now. But first, check out a few tips to up your roasting game:

  • Don’t overcrowd the pan: Space your ingredients in a single layer, leaving enough room for the heat to circulate evenly. (Otherwise, the top ingredients will char while the food underneath steams or doesn’t cook completely, due to lack of heat.)
  • Combine ingredients that will cook at roughly the same pace: If chopping ingredients before roasting, make sure the pieces are the same size so they cook evenly. Likewise, if pairing ingredients, choose ones that take the same amount of time so they cook evenly.
  • Don’t add too much liquid to the pan: Most roasting recipes call for tossing the ingredients in some sort of fat — butter, oil, bacon, even duck fat — or a marinade before roasting. Be sure to add just enough to lightly coat. Too much liquid will prevent browning and make the finished dish soggy.
  • Keep an eye on the food, and toss as needed: Tossing the food as it roasts will help each ingredient cook and brown evenly. Most recipes suggest when to toss, but it’s always a good idea to check occasionally (every oven works differently), and you may need to toss more often than suggested.
  • Preheat the oven before cooking: Ovens vary, but it usually takes about 15 minutes to heat the oven to temperature before using. Heating the oven ahead of time ensures that the food cooks evenly and in the general time frame given.
  • Use a good rimmed sheet pan: While most meats will need a roasting pan, smaller items, such as vegetables (and chicken or fish), work better in a shallow pan. Invest in a solid, heavy-duty rimmed sheet pan that will contain any liquids that may run as you move the food around, and which won’t warp as it heats in the oven.

Roasted Radish Salad With Goat Cheese and Bacon

roasted radish salad with goat cheese and bacon
Dylan Simmons / Noelle Carter 

Normally in season from late winter through spring, radishes are the edible roots of the mustard family and get their name from the Latin “radix,” which means root. While they’re commonly used raw as a condiment or garnish, the roots are sometimes cooked, and you’ll find recipes for them steamed or braised.

But roasting them gives the radishes layers of flavor while mellowing their bite. Roasting — which can be done in as little as 10 to 20 minutes — softens the roots, releasing their juices and giving them subtle caramel notes. It also brings out their colors, bringing out the vibrance of each root.

This recipe tosses roasted radishes into a salad, but they could just as easily be eaten by themselves (toss with a little browned butter and minced garlic) or served as part of a cheese platter.

Cook time and roast time: 35 minutes. Yield: serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

  • ½ pound bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick strips
  • 1 pound mixed radishes, stem and tops trimmed, and halved lengthwise
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • ½ teaspoon chopped thyme
  • 1 teaspoon chopped chives
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup sherry vinegar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
  • 8 ounces mixed spring greens
  • 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. In a large sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the strips are crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels, and reserve the bacon grease.
  3. In a large bowl, toss the radishes with enough reserved bacon grease to lightly coat, and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and several grinds of pepper.
  4. Place the radishes on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and roast until the radishes are lightly browned but still firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the shallots, thyme, chives, honey, vinegar, and 5 tablespoons of fat (use the remaining bacon grease and extra olive oil as needed to reach this amount). Season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper, or to taste.
  6. In a large bowl, toss the roasted radishes with the spring greens, adding just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Divide the salad between the serving plates, and drizzle a little of the remaining vinaigrette over each plate, and garnish each with a sprinkling of bacon and crumbled goat cheese. Serve immediately.

Note: From Noelle Carter.

Roasted Carrots With Herbed Yogurt

roasted carrots with herbed yogurt
Dylan Simmons / Noelle Carter 

While they’re generally found year-round, winter is the best season for carrots, as the cold weather makes for crisper and sweeter roots. If you happen upon a farmers market about now, look for the root vegetable in a variety of colors — one advantage to sourcing them seasonally.

Like radishes, carrots are most often enjoyed raw, but cooking brings out the sweeter notes. Roasting — the recipe below is inspired by renowned chef Michael Cimarusti — brings out the subtle, earthy flavors of the vegetable — and the yogurt sauce brightens the notes with herbs that lift the flavors. It’s a wonderful combination.

Kitchen tip: Greek-style yogurt is yogurt that has had some of the excess liquid drained, making for a thicker, denser spread. To make Greek-style yogurt yourself, place yogurt in a coffee filter in a strainer, or line a strainer with paper towels before spooning the yogurt inside. Place the mixture in the refrigerator, and allow to drain until the yogurt is thickened. Voilà!

Prep time and roast time: 45 minutes. Yield: serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds carrots, preferably new (small), peeled, and stems cut
  • Olive oil
  • Coarse sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup Greek-style yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup, more to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the carrots on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a light coating of oil along with ½ teaspoon of salt and the garlic, tossing to evenly coat. Roast the carrots until fork-tender with little to no coloring, turning halfway through roasting for even cooking, about 35 minutes. (The carrots can be made to this point a day or two in advance, and reheated before serving.)
  2. While the carrots are roasting, prepare the herbed yogurt: In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt with the chives, parsley, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, cumin, and black pepper. Season with a pinch of sea salt, or to taste. Chill until ready to serve.
  3. Before serving, melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and toss, coating the vegetables with the butter and cooking until evenly heated throughout. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, or to taste. Remove from heat and toss with the maple syrup to evenly coat. Taste and add additional maple syrup if desired.
  4. Serve the carrots, still hot, with the chilled herbed yogurt on the side.

Note: From Noelle Carter.

Roasted Sweet Potato With Toum (Garlic Sauce)

roasted sweet potato with toum garlic sauce
Dylan Simmons / Noelle Carter

Oven-roasted sweet potatoes meet the bold and creamy flavors of a traditional Lebanese garlic sauce. This recipe is so savory, creamy, and filling, it could easily be enjoyed as a main course (who knew sweet potatoes could be anything other than a side dish?). Toum, a garlic sauce made of oil, lemon, and garlic, is pureed into a creamy, airy sauce; it’s traditionally served with grilled meats and kabobs, but I find that it pairs perfectly with the creamy, meaty texture of roasted sweet potatoes, as the potatoes — roasted — have a wonderful charred exterior, similar to grilled steak. —Dylan Simmons

Prep time and bake time: 55 minutes. Yield: serves 4.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • ⅓ cup peeled garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons ice water, divided
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 small sweet potatoes (about 1½ pounds), halved lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions

Instructions

  1. For the toum: Chill 1 cup of oil in the refrigerator until thickened, about 40 minutes (this will help the sauce emulsify). In the base of a food processor, combine the garlic, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon ice water, and ¼ cup cold oil. Blend, scraping down the sides as needed, until a smooth paste forms, about 3 minutes.
  2. With the motor running, gradually stream in ½ cup oil (pouring in the oil slowly prevents the emulsion from separating). Scrape down the sides, and slowly pour in the remaining oil. Add the remaining ice water, season with kosher salt to taste, and pulse again to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. For the sweet potatoes: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a baking sheet in the oven until hot, about 15 minutes. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes in the remaining oil until evenly coated. Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven. Place the sweet potatoes, cut side down, on the hot baking sheet and bake until they’re dark golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the sweet potatoes over, and continue to bake until fork-tender, 10 to 15 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter and honey until combined.
  4. Spoon the toum on a serving platter, and arrange the sweet potatoes on top. Drizzle with the honey, and garnish with the scallions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Note: From Dylan Simmons.

Roasted Celery Root With Walnuts and Thyme

roasted celery root with walnuts and thyme
Dylan Simmons / Noelle Carter Food

Celery root is commonly passed by many people in the grocery store. Why? Its exterior, shape, and color make it seem foreign and odd. But don’t let the looks of this root deter you from its delicious flavor. The light, celery-like flavor and parsnip-like texture roast to a lightly sweet and tender texture. After it’s finished roasting, a quick toss in apple cider vinegar and honey helps to amplify and brighten its natural flavors. Roasted walnuts and fresh thyme not only add layers of nutty and herbaceous flavors, but add extra texture to the dish. — Dylan Simmons

Prep time and roast time: 35 minutes. Yield: serves 4.

Ingredients

  • 2 celery roots (about 2½ pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
  • 3 tablespoons walnut oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the celery root lightly to coat with oil. Roast, tossing halfway through cooking, until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
  2. Toss the celery root in the vinegar and honey to evenly coat. Transfer to a platter, and garnish with the toasted walnuts and chopped thyme.

Note: From Dylan Simmons.


Noelle Carter is a chef, food writer, and culinary consultant at Noelle Carter Food. She was the longtime test kitchen director and food writer at the Los Angeles Times and a contributor to The Splendid Table, a nationally syndicated radio program from American Public Media. A native Southern Californian, she also holds a degree in film from the University of Southern California. Follow Noelle on Twitter @noellecarter.

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