Guide for Roasting Vegetables (no-oil)
After roasting lots and lots of vegetables and experimenting with various no-oil approaches, I’m sharing this guide, which covers most vegetables and works with most ovens. For more on why I avoid cooking with oil, see my post “What’s Wrong With Oil?”
Basic Roasted Vegetable Approach: Tahini-Based Coating
Preheat the oven to 450°F with convection. (If your oven runs hot, try 425°F with convection.) Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil (I actually prefer not to line the pan—I get better caramelization that way). (I find silicone mats lead to less crispy vegetables.)
Whisk these ingredients together in a large bowl. (Note, if you want to use another, stronger spice combination, eliminate the onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika and substitute 2-3 teaspoons of your preferred spices.) (See spicing suggestions below the recipe.)
5 teaspoons water
4 teaspoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of smoked paprika
Add in the vegetables and fold with a spatula until all the cubes are coated.
1 pound vegetables, cut into chunks/cubes/florets (see vegetable list below) (note that for potatoes, the tahini mixture covers 1.5 pounds of potato chunks)
Transfer the coated vegetables onto the pan. (If there is too much tahini mixture, use a slotted spoon to lift out the vegetables and put them on the pan to avoid too much burnt tahini mixture on the pan.) Roast for half the time (see times below), then stir/flip the vegetables, rotate the pan, and roast until desired tenderness is reached.
Roasting times at 450°F (or 425°F with convection)
Root vegetables: 24-40 minutes total
Potatoes, turnips, beets, parsnips, carrots, etc.
Winter squash: 25-40 minutes total
Butternut, acorn, Delicata, etc.
Cruciferous: 15-25 minutes total
Cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, etc.
Watery vegetables: 10-20 minutes total
Eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini and other summer squash, onions, garlic, green beans, asparagus, etc.
Ideas for added spices
Old Bay seasoning (optional to add garlic powder)
Montreal steak seasoning (or other favorite seasoning mix)
Cajun spices
Fresh chopped thyme and rosemary (plus fresh smashed garlic cloves)
Curry powder
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