Cast Iron

Roasted Root Vegetables with Cider Vinaigrette

September 12, 2016
5
2 Ratings
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Serves 8
Author Notes

This meal is a staple in our home as soon as the fall and winter crops arrive on market tables. We serve it up for dinner as a main course, reheat it for breakfast and throw a fried egg on top, and bring it to all of the fall and winter holiday gatherings. It's ridiculously simple, but I've received more praise when I bring it to potlucks than any other dish. Slathered in olive oil, rosemary and thyme, roasted vegetables taste spectacular on their own, but the sweet, tart vinaigrette is what takes this dish to the next level. I've used sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, and onions -- but truly, any root vegetable will do. —Alexa Arnold

Test Kitchen Notes

The recipe is pretty forgiving, but I did stick pretty close to how it was written. The veggies were great, but I didn't think the vinaigrette really added that much. I served it to my family and they felt the same.

This is A LOT of veg, and it would never fit into a cast iron pan for me. I reduced the amount of veg (1 large of each potato, 4 carrots, 1 parsnip), and they barley fit onto a 18"x13" pan. As it was, I had to bake them at a higher temperature and a little longer just to get some color on them. I should have baked them on two sheets, so they didn't steam so much for the first half of baking.

The leftovers were really good in an omelette with some sharp cheese.

This wasn't a show stopper for me, although enjoyable. It did put me into fall mode. —Lindsay

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the roasted vegetables
  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 2 large potatoes (or a handful of fingerlings)
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed
  • 6 medium carrots
  • 3 medium parsnips
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
  • For the cider vinaigrette
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
  1. Cube the potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and parsnips into bite-size pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Slice the onion into small pieces and add to the bowl. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, salt, and pepper and mix until all of the vegetables are covered.
  2. Heat the oven to 375 °F. Transfer the vegetables to a cast iron skillet or other large baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, pulling them out halfway to stir.
  3. Prepare the vinaigrette: Add the shallot, mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a small jar and shake until emulsified.
  4. Once the vegetables are soft, remove from the oven and let cool. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir so they're evenly coated.

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1 Review

Katie January 1, 2024
These root vegs were to die for! I was hesitant on adding the vinagrette, but it made the dish. This is a very versatile dish and you can use an array of root vegetable. The parsnips are a must in this dish.