Vegan Roasted Root Veggies ? It’s time to get back to your roots, starting with these delicious, nutritious caramelized roasted carrots & beets topped with our bright & creamy vegan avocado basil dressing. Oil-free option. GF.
There’s nothing quite like the gorgeous colors & flavors of rainbow carrots and red & golden beets – roasted to perfection!
I love loading up a plate with vibrant salad greens and caramelized vegan roasted veggies, topped with my creamy, yummy Vegan Avocado Basil Dressing!
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We had the roasted root veggies with avo basil dressing the other night. It was fantastic!! Cindy T.
Rainbow carrots and red & golden beets. Such amazing colors!
What are Root Vegetables?
Root vegetables are basically edible plant parts that grow underground. Some are ‘true roots’ or taproots, others are bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers. So while not all of them are actually ‘roots’, tubers – like potatoes and yams – are still considered root vegetables. Likewise, ginger, turmeric, ginseng, and arrowroot – all rhizomes – grow underground. Carrots, parsnips, radishes, daikon, turnips, rutabagas, jicama, are ‘true roots’ or taproots.
Are Root Vegetables Healthy?
Eat your carrots! ?According to the Harvard Health Letter, root vegetables are packed with nutrients and complex carbohydrates (the good kind). Root vegetables are also low in calories and high in antioxidants. Each type of veggie offers different amounts of vitamins and minerals. For instance, carrots are high in vitamin A. Turnips are loaded with calcium. Russet potatoes are great sources of potassium.
For those of us who prefer whole food plant-based diets, enjoying starchy root veggies like potatoes and yams is a great way to help with weight loss. They help stave off hunger by making you feel satisfied (so long as you don’t load on lots of butter or oils). Nibbling on carrots with hummus is one of my favorite afternoon snacks. ?A cup of raw carrots sticks has only 50 calories. Now that’s something to root for!
What does Eating the Rainbow mean?
One of the many things I LOVE SO MUCH about being vegan is enjoying the beautiful colors of the fruits and veggies I eat every day. Our plates look like painters palettes. Vibrant greens of every shade, brilliant tomato and pepper reds, deep eggplant purples, bright lemony yellows, radiant oranges, berry blues.
Take a look at the astounding array of colors when you visit a farmers market or the produce department in your neighborhood grocery store. The beautiful hues contained in all of those gorgeous fruits and veggies are the nutrients of life. When you hear your doctor suggest that you “Eat the rainbow”, that means that you should create a colorful, multi-hued plate for yourself at every meal. By doing so, you are ensuring that you are consuming a variety of healthy, nutrient-filled foods. You might like to take a look at this pamphlet by The American Heart Association about “Eating the Rainbow”.
How to Serve Roasted Root Veggies
I love preparing vegan roasted root veggies! There are endless ways you can enjoy them. They’re the perfect companion to braised tofu, or as a bright addition to a bowl of quinoa and steamed veggies. How about creating the ultimate vegan appetizer or starter? Simply add them to our fabulous Vegan Mediterranean Roasted Veggies on a platter! My favorite way to enjoy roasted root veggies is on a salad. Top off your salad with a drizzle of my creamy yummy Vegan Avocado Basil dressing. It’s amazing on vegan roasted root veggies!
?Want to prepare this recipe without oil? See my notes in the recipe below for an oil-free option.
very vegan ?very good!
Vegan Roasted Root Veggies
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment paper (optional)
- Chef's knife
- paring knife
- basting brush
Ingredients
- 4 large beets red and golden – washed, peeled, cut into bite-size wedges
- 6 large carrots rainbow variety or regular – washed, peeled, cut into 1/2" rounds
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1/2 tsp sea salt coarse
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400?
- Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper or lightly grease surface of pans.
- Arrange beets on one pan, in a single layer. Do the same with carrots on a separate pan.
- Brush beets and carrots lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt.
- Place carrots in oven at 400? for 15 minutes until just tender. Place beets in oven for 20 – 30 minutes until just tender.
- Combine balsamic vinegar and maple syrup in small bowl.
- Brush carrots and beets with vinegar and syrup. Place both pans back into oven for an additional 10 minutes, allowing the vinegar/syrup mix to caramelize.
- Remove from oven.