If you're looking to save time, and eat healthier, one of the best tips we can offer is to roast a week's worth of vegetables at once. Whichever day you choose – perhaps Sunday – make this a part of your routine, and in about 30 mostly hands-off minutes, you'll have the basis of several good meals, such as these five lunches…
Roast up several pans of vegetables – asparagus, peppers, root vegetables, squash, whatever is in season. You can add herbs and spices if you like, but for maximum versatility, just coat them in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate the roasted veg in airtight containers and use them throughout the week.
Here are five easy and nutritious lunch ideas:
• Green salad: Toss roasted vegetables with fresh greens, a handful of dried fruit and nuts, and your favorite dressing. We love this simple balsamic vinaigrette.
• Grain salad: Combine roasted vegetables with cooked and cooled whole grains such as spelt, farro, or quinoa, a dash of oil and vinegar, and some chopped fresh herbs like parsley, basil, or scallions.
• Soup: Make a simple pureed soup with roasted vegetables and water, stock, cream, or yogurt. Take a look at this post for some favorite combinations.
• Pita: Fill a pita bread with lettuce or arugula, roasted vegetables, and feta. If you like, add a spread such as hummus or tahini miso dressing.
• Tartine: Top a slice of whole grain bread with ricotta or goat cheese and roasted vegetables. For inspiration, check out this roasted tomato tartine with herbs and sweet potato and goat cheese bruschetta with pumpkin seeds.
Plus a few tips for roasting vegetables:
• How To Roast Any Vegetable
• High-Heat Roasted Vegetables
• Try This! Late Winter Vegetables Roasted in Bacon Fat
Related: Video: Cook a Week of Vegetables in One Afternoon
(Image: Dana Velden)
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Once you have roasted them, what is the best way to store them so they will still be good to use throughout the week?
I love this idea. Just a little planning ahead can make mealtime so much easier...
Great ideas!
whalermeg, I store roasted vegetables in an airtight containter in the fridge; nothing special. I do find that they tend to be better the first two or three days; after that, I focus more on pureed uses, like soups (or just plain puree).
yes, yes, yes!!! Great post-thank you!
whalermag, I agree with Alicelost and often puree into marinara sauces to up the veggies content. Family never knows the difference!
great tip! i do this all the time! i find if i make them on sunday and eat them by thursday they are fine.
I do this a lot! Another thing I like to do is roast a bunch of sweet potatoes on Sunday nights and build my lunches/dinners around them. Sweet potatoes topped w/lentils, beans or greens make a fantastic, easy lunch.
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I love doing this, especially in summer when I roast trays of eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and zucchini. I use them in sandwiches, pastas, grain salads, as a part of antipasti platters.
I'm reading Tamar Adler's AN EVERLASTING MEAL, where she has an entire chapter (called "How to Stride Ahead") devoted to roasting vegetables for the week and how to use them throughout the week. I love this book.
I like this idea, too, but am not sure I could think of enough ways to use them during the week. Hence the suggestions above are helpful.
Question: Does roasting vegetables have any negative effect on their nutritional benefit? (As compared to, say, eating them raw or cooked in another manner. I understand that eating vegetables raw may or may not be nutritionally superior to eating them cooked, depending on the type of vegetable and, probably, the source you're relying on. But I'm not sure myself.)
I love doing this, and winter veggies lend themselves to roasting. I love to roast up whole sweet potatoes and then use them in a variety of things during the week, like these mashed sweet potatoes with crispy prosciutto!
Oh! Almost forgot about one of my favorite lasagnas, my roasted butternut squash and carrot lasagna. If you roast the veggies ahead of time (and use extras for other dishes like a nice winter salad), it makes lasagna very doable for a weeknight dinner!