At a glance

What stands out: Straightforward balsamic roasted vegetables are flavorful, irresistible, and straightforward to adapt. Transform any vegetables you have on hand into a special treat!

How long it takes: 1 hour
Equipment you’ll need: large bowl, sheet pan
Servings: 6

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

Roasting transforms vegetables. Roasting is one of our favorite ways to prepare vegetables. The flavors just come alive as the natural sugars in the vegetables caramelize with the high heat.

Balsamic vinegar adds so much flavor! We often roast vegetables simply with olive oil, salt, and pepper but we have to say, these balsamic roasted vegetables are a show-stopper in terms of flavor. The balsamic vinegar not only adds tangy fruity flavor but the sugars in it caramelize on the outside surface of the vegetables. Just take a look at the mushrooms! That caramelization is completely irresistible.

A reliable side dish. Balsamic roasted vegetables are a simple but outstanding side dish with chicken or steak (or pretty much anything). Try them as a side with balsamic marinated chicken or Instant Pot pork loin roast. They go great with this spice rubbed pork tenderloin or air fryer salmon. Make a straightforward crockpot ham.

Tips for Making Roasted Vegetables

Preheat the oven. A preheated oven is essential. You want the vegetables to roast, not slowly steam. Ideally, the oven temperature should be between 400°F to 425°F. However, if you have other foods baking in the oven at a different temperature, it’s evenly okay to roast the veggies at the same time. They may take a bit longer but will turn out fine.

Cut firmer vegetables into smaller pieces. You’ll want to cut the carrots and the parsnips (or any other hard root vegetables) a little smaller than the mushrooms and onions, because they’ll take a little longer to roast. Alternatively, you can roast the firmer vegetables for 10 to 15 minutes prior to adding the mushrooms and onions.

This recipe is flexible. Keep in mind that you can roast nearly any vegetable. We also experiment with different herbs and seasonings. Sometimes we just season the vegetables with a couple of teaspoons of our all-purpose seasoning.

Cooked vegetables in a bowl with parsley.

Cooking tip

Balsamic vinegar will turn darker in the oven as the liquid cooks away; it’s similar to a balsamic reduction. The vinegar becomes more syrupy, sweeter, and darker in color. The darker color does not mean it’s burning. Avoid using balsamic syrup instead of balsamic vinegar to roast the vegetables because it may burn in the oven; however, feel free to drizzle it on your roasted vegetables when you serve them!

What's a Sheet Pan?

This trusty pan is a kitchen essential. We use ours at least a few times a week. A sheet pan is a large (13 x 18 inches) rimmed baking pan. The rim is usually about one inch. This size is sometimes called a half sheet pan.

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Ways to change it

Try different veggies. Use any combination of vegetables you like.
Try different seasonings. Experiment with herbs and/or seasoning.
Add meat to the pan. Add Italian link sausage or bratwurst to the pan. They’ll roast right along with the veggies. Try sheet pan honey balsamic chicken and vegetables. It’s one of our favorite one pan recipes.
Make it a main dish. Toss in a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas to roast right with the vegetables. Stir in crisp baked tofu. Top with feta or gorgonzola cheese, or this tasty savory granola.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Get a head start: Prep the vegetables up to a day ahead. Refrigerate them in an airtight container or zip top bag. When it’s showtime, all you’ll have to do is toss them with the oil/vinegar mixture and put them in the oven.

Meal prep: Make a big batch of roasted vegetables to enjoy throughout the week. Roasted vegetables are so good on a salad, cold or warmed up quickly in the microwave. They’re also wonderful with quinoa (think Buddha bowls) or in a roasted vegetable wrap. We often warm them up, then top the veggies with a couple of over-straightforward fried eggs.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate/Freeze: Roasted vegetables will keep in the refrigerator for at least four to five days. They also freeze well. Make sure they are completely cool before storing them in airtight containers. If they are still warm, condensation will form inside the container and make the veggies soggy.

Reheat: Reheat roasted vegetables in a toaster oven (set it to bake at 425ºF and heat for 10 minutes). They can be reheated in a dry frying pan; just toss them around over medium-high heat until they’re warmed through. For smaller portions, a speedy zap in the microwave works, and we've found that our air fryer does a great job of reheating roasted vegetables, too.

Yield: 6
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour

Ingredients

3 large carrots (peeled and sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds)
3 large parsnips (peeled and sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds)
1 large yellow onion (roughly chopped, or sliced lengthwise into wedges)
8 ounces white mushrooms (halved or quartered, if large)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more or less to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 425°F. It's important to have a preheated oven before you put the veggies in. Choose a large enough pan. We use a rimmed sheet pan that measures about 13 x 18 inches. There should be enough room to spread the vegetables out in a single layer.
Combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Add prepared vegetables to the bowl, and stir well with spoon (or your hands!) until vegetables are coated.
Spread vegetables onto a rimmed baking sheet in single layer. Roast in preheated oven until carrots and parsnips are tender, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
Serve immediately. Roasted vegetables are good at room temperature, too.

Notes

Prep tip: Try to cut the vegetables about the same size so they roast evenly. For example, when slicing the carrots and parsnips, cut the “skinny ends” a little larger so they don’t burn.

Hard vs. soft veggies: When choosing which vegetables to roast together, make sure they are compatible in terms of how long they take to get tender. Firm root vegetables such as parsnips, carrots, potatoes, beets, onions, or sweet potatoes take longer; softer vegetables like mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, or bell peppers take less time and can be added to the pan midway so they don’t get overdone.

Storage: Roasted vegetables will keep at least 4 to 5 days in the fridge or in the freezer for six months. Be sure to label them.