Have you seen root vegetables piled sky-high at the markets? We love this time of year, and how the season lends itself to whipping up a warming soup, or roasting a mixture of roots to pair with lean proteins. We even add those roasted nuggets to salads! Cooking root vegetables is a healthy way to enjoy a meal that’s both comforting and nutritious. As weather turns cool, and the first big rain storms move in, we suggest whipping up a big batch of root veggies and trying them out in one (or all!) of our favorite ways.
#1 – Roasted Root Vegetables from Eating Well
Ingredients
8 carrots , peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 4-inch sticks (4 cups)
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, (6 medium), scrubbed and cut into wedges
12 large shallots, peeled, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise (2 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
1. Place oven racks at the highest and lowest positions. Preheat oven to 325 °F.
2. Toss carrots, potatoes, shallots, oil, salt and pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet.
3. Roast the vegetables on the highest rack for 1 hour, stirring once. Increase the oven temperature to 425 °F. Stir the vegetables again and transfer to the lowest rack. Roast until the vegetables are browned and crisp, about 20 minutes more, stirring once.
4. Toss with balsamic vinegar and transfer to a serving dish.
Makes 6 servings
Nutrition info: Calories 184 | Fat 5g | Protein 4g | Carbs 35g
Nutritional information is provided by Eating Well.
#2 – Root Vegetable Soup from the New York Times
Note: you don’t need to roast the veggies first for this soup, though you could and then add to the liquid before blending. Either process will yield a delicious soup!
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion or 2 leeks (white and light green part only), chopped
2 to 3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 rosemary or thyme branches
2 bay leaves
3 ½ pounds mixed root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, celery root, turnip, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
½ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more for serving
Extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt
Crushed Aleppo, Urfa or other chile flakes, optional
Grated Parmesan or pecorino, optional
Instructions
1. Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, rosemary and bay leaves; cook 1 minute more. Add root vegetables, 8 cups water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Remove and discard rosemary branches and bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can purée the soup in batches in a blender or food processor.) If the soup is too thick, add a little water. Season with lemon juice and more salt to taste.
3. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, flaky salt and crushed chile or grated cheese, if desired.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Nutrition info: Calories 349 | Fat 17g | Protein 9g | Carbs 39g
Nutritional information is provided by the New York Times.
#3 – Roasted Root Vegetable Salad from Cooking Light
Ingredients
3 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
8 small shallots, peeled and halved
4 parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium turnips, cut into thin wedges
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons oil, 3/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss well to coat; arrange in a single layer on a large jelly-roll pan. Bake at 425° for 40 minutes or until vegetables are browned and tender, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven; cool to room temperature.
3. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, mustard, honey, and garlic in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add roasted vegetables; toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley.
Note: you can make the roasted veggies ahead of time, then toss with vinaigrette before serving. Also, to make this a meal, serve your roasted veggie salad on a bed of greens with some diced grilled chicken or lean, cooked pork.
Serves 10 as a side (1/2 cup serving size).
Nutrition info: Calories 167 | Fat 7g | Protein 3g | Carbs 26g
Nutritional information is provided by Cooking Light.
What’s your favorite root veggie? Parsnips? Sweet potatoes? Carrots? Let us know in the comments below!
Keep Moving,
– Team FitStar
The post (Roasted) Root Veggies – 3 Ways! appeared first on FitStar - Inspiring people to live healthier lives.