COOKING CLASS: Roasting Veggies 101

A strategic plan that gets them perfectly crispy every time — plus, riffs, veg combos, easy meal ideas, and more

Roasted vegetables are so ubiquitous both at home and at restaurants, you might think you already know all about them. Roasting veggies is simple, right? Is there even that much to say about the process? Believe it or not, there is. 

There are so many variations in vegetables themselves (like starchiness and water content), and so many other factors to consider that it really helps to understand the techniques at work so you can get perfectly brown, not mushy, delicious vegetables every time. 

The enemy of roasting is moisture, so it’s much harder to reliably roast summer vegetables with a high moisture content, like zucchini.

Fall vegetables such as winter squash, cauliflower, carrots, and other root vegetables (like kohlrabi, beets, celeriac, potatoes, etc.) are perfect for roasting because they are drier and firmer. They require longer cooking than summer vegetables, which is a good thing. They have time to develop a nice golden crust and tender insides. 

Some of my favorite fall veggies to roast include:

Squash
Carrots
Cauliflower
Onions
Broccoli
Sweet potatoes
Parsnips
Beets
Kohlrabi
Turnips
Radishes
Fennel
Onions
Potatoes

Given all this, fall is the perfect time for a deep dive into roasting. That’s why today, I’m sharing an in-depth primer for my paid subscribers that's guaranteed to take your roasted veggies to the next level. We’re covering chop size, seasonings, cookware, oven temps, and more, plus dressings and drizzles to top it all off. Here we go!