This roasted root vegetables recipe is so delicious that you'll want seconds! Fresh herbs and a fragrant sage oil pack the veggies with rich, earthy flavor.
This oven roasted root vegetables recipe elevates humble carrots, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, and beets into a holiday-worthy side dish. I know these unassuming vegetables might not be the first ones you reach for at the farmers market or grocery store, but there are so many reasons to cook them. They’re nutritious and affordable. They’re colorful, and–best of all–they’re delicious.
In this roasted root vegetables recipe, I chop them into big chunks and toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lots of fresh herbs. Then, I roast them until they’re tender and caramelized. When they come out of the oven, I drizzle them with a fragrant sage oil, which makes their rich, earthy flavor that much richer and that much earthier. And, as a final finishing touch, I sprinkle them with fried sage leaves, which offer a great crispy contrast to the tender roasted veg. You might not imagine yourself going back for a second helping of roasted root vegetables at a holiday dinner, but try this recipe, and I promise that you will.
Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this roasted root vegetables recipe:
- Root vegetables, of course! I use red beets, golden beets, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and turnips. They fill this simple side dish with bold color and sweet, earthy, bitter, and nutty flavors.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – You’ll toss some with the veggies to help them become brown and tender in the oven and use more to make the infused sage oil.
- Fresh herbs – I roast the vegetables with chopped rosemary, sage, and thyme. I crisp up more whole sage leaves to use as a garnish on the final dish.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe Tips
- To peel or not to peel? It’s up to you! I haven’t indicated whether or not to peel the vegetables in the recipe below, because I think it’s a matter of personal preference. When I make this recipe, I typically peel the beets but leave the skins on the other root veggies, making sure to scrub them well before roasting. If you prefer, you can peel more or all of the vegetables. The recipe will come out great no matter what.
- Group the veggies strategically. The roasted vegetables are ready when their middles are tender and their outsides are nicely browned. But different types vegetables won’t all get to this point at the same time. For this reason, I recommend using two baking sheets in this recipe and grouping vegetables with similar cooking times together. Place the beets and carrots on one baking sheet and the sweet potatoes, parsnips, and turnips on the other. Start checking the vegetables after 25 minutes. You’ll likely take the pan with the sweet potatoes out of the oven well before you remove the one with the beets.
- Don’t crowd the veggies. Another benefit of using two baking sheets is that you’ll have plenty of room to spread out the veggies. If they’re crammed together, they’ll steam in the oven, softening without browning. For the best browning (aka the best flavor!), make sure to arrange the vegetables in a single layer on each pan.
- Get ahead. I recommend roasting the root vegetables on the day you plan to serve them, but they’re delicious warm or at room temp, so feel free to bake them off a few hours before your meal. Drizzle them with the sage oil and top them with the crispy sage leaves just before serving.
How to Serve Roasted Root Vegetables
I developed this roasted veggies recipe with holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas in mind, but this healthy side dish would be at home at any fall or winter meal. Pair it with your favorite protein for a satisfying weeknight dinner, or serve it alongside mushroom polenta, stuffed shells, or butternut squash risotto for a comforting weekend feast.
If you are making this recipe for a holiday meal, it will go wonderfully with classic side dishes like these:
Looking for more holiday side dish recipes? Check out this post!
More Favorite Veggie Side Dishes
If you love these roasted root vegetables, try one of these veggie side dishes next:
- Green Beans Almondine
- Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic
- Roasted Delicata Squash
- Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
- Roasted Kabocha Squash
Roasted Root Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 beets, preferably 1 red and 1 golden, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1 large carrot, roll cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 parsnips, chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1 medium sweet potato, chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1 turnip, chopped into 1-inch chunks
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crispy Sage and Sage Oil
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 10 fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the beets and carrots on one baking sheet and the parsnips, sweet potato, and turnip on the other. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with the rosemary, sage, thyme, pinches of salt, and several grinds of pepper. Toss to coat and spread evenly on the baking sheets. Roast for 25 to 50 minutes, or until tender and browned around the edges. The parsnips, sweet potato, and turnip will bake for less time. The beet and carrot will roast longer.
- Make the crispy sage: Line a plate with paper towels. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan until bubbling, add the sage leaves, stir, and cook until crisp, about 1 minute. Remove the leaves from the oil and transfer to the prepared plate to drain. Reserve the oil for serving with the vegetables.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven and toss with 1 tablespoon of the sage oil. Transfer to a platter and top with the crispy sage leaves.
Is there a break down of the macros for this recipe?
Made a quadruple batch for a large potluck , garnished it with the genius/tasty crispy sage leaves as well as a sprig of blooming rosemary. It disappeared quickly, with several people going back for seconds! Got rave reviews. It’s easy, delicious and beautiful and I’ll be making this on a regular basis for parties and home meals as well. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hi! This looks great and I’m excited to try it. Picked up some celery root along with the other root vegetables listed. Any idea if that would belong in the beet/carrot tray (longer roasting time) or the everything-else tray? Thanks!
Hi Molly, yes, I’d put it with the beets.
Hi, sweet potatoes or yams? Just to be sure. Love your site!
Delicious and simple! The longest part is peeling/cutting. I can’t believe I’ve never roasted beets, parsnips or turnips. I chose this recipe to broaden my veggie cooking options. Served with chicken breast. Thanks for the beautiful dish!
Hi Lynn, I’m so glad you loved the veggies!
Would you/Can you safely eat the sage leaves used as garnish or are they just decor?
Hi Jean, I eat them! They’re safe and delicious.
On which pan would you include celeriac? I’ll probably sub it for the turnip.
Hi Nicole, I think it depends on the space you have on each sheet (how big your veggies are), but I think it might be closest in timing to the beets, which take the longest.
Can you make a day ahead of the holiday and reheat or so they lose their crispiness?
Hi Marcy, We do like these best on the day they’re roasted, but if you have a full oven on the holiday, you could totally make them ahead! I’d wait to cook the crispy sage leaves and add the sage oil until right before serving.
Is there no problem with the beets turning everything pink?
Hi Pat, To manage the color, you can roast each vegetable in an individual band on the baking sheet instead of tossing them all together.
I do what I like to call ‘lazy peeling’. It’s when you barely make an effort to peel so there’s some left on the veggie.